YouSaid · the spoken record

Urbina

lines on the record: 774
first: 2007-10-23
most recent: 2010-03-19
sittings or episodes: 103
sources: un-security-council

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“That work includes assisting the Security Council in monitoring the implementation of the resolution through the examination of relevant measures taken by all States Members of the United Nations, the organization of intensive outreach activities, the development of deeper and mutually beneficial cooperation with other Security Council counter- terrorism bodies as well as with global, regional, and subregional intergovernmental organizations, the 2 creation of new tools to facilitate assistance and transparency, and the enhancement of its dialogue with individual States.”
2008-08-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5955 (2008) · source
“Mr. Urbina (Costa Rica) (spoke in Spanish): Pursuant to paragraph 7 of resolution 1810 (2008), and on behalf of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), it is my pleasure to submit to the Security Council the Committee's report on the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). Since the adoption of Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) in April 2004, the Committee established pursuant to that resolution has made considerable progress in promoting full implementation of the resolution through its intensive work programmes.”
2008-08-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5955 (2008) · source
“We reiterate our call for moderation, a cessation of hostilities and the establishment of contacts between the parties, as that is the road towards a political solution to the conflict, something to which we are all committed as we shoulder the lofty responsibilities we bear”
2008-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5953 (2008) · source
“It is time to call for moderation. In that regard, we welcome the French Government's initiative and the mediation efforts undertaken by other key actors. We call for the immediate cessation of hostilities and the restoration of the situation prevailing before the conflict. That is the path towards peace, and the Security Council must follow that path in compliance with its lofty responsibilities. We are here to strengthen the rule of international law, the guarantees of collective security and internationally recognized principles, including the protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, in this case of Georgia.”
2008-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5953 (2008) · source
“Costa Rica regrets the scale that the hostilities have reached and deplores the fact that they have spread beyond the conflict zone. We are convinced of the need for moderation on all sides, including that of the Russian Federation, whose active participation in this conflict threatens to transform it into a crisis of international dimensions. We do not believe that the repetition of mutual accusations and the use of language that is truly aggressive in any way helps to calm spirits or open up options aimed at restoring peace. The repeated use of terms such as "genocide", "ethnic cleansing" and "war crimes" should give rise to reflection. In that regard, we call for a more cautious approach with a use of language that will provide more space and further guarantees towards strengthening collective security mechanisms.”
2008-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5953 (2008) · source
“Mr. Urbina (Costa Rica) (spoke in Spanish): I should like to begin by thanking Mr. Pascoe for his statement this morning and by reaffirming my delegation's absolute confidence in the excellent work that he has accomplished. I also thank Mr. Mulet and the Permanent Representative of Georgia for their statements. Like other delegations, Costa Rica believes that the Secretary-General's statement reflects the chief concerns of members of the Security Council regarding this conflict, whose potential for regional destabilization could lead to an extremely grave situation. The Secretary-General accurately reflects the conviction of the overwhelming majority of Members of the Organization that only a peaceful and political solution, not a military one, can put an end to this conflict.”
2008-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5953 (2008) · source
“Political dialogue, reconciliation, strengthening the legitimacy of the Government and its institutions, the necessary improvement in the security situation without undermining the rule of law, and increasing investment in the people and their welfare are the keys to a promising future for the Iraqi people. The United Nations has a fundamental role to play in accompanying these complex processes.”
2008-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5949 (2008) · source
“With regard to public investment, we believe that Iraq should exploit and invest as quickly as possible the profits from its considerable oil income. That which, for countries like Costa Rica, represents an economic burden can and must be an opportunity to promote the development of the people of oil exporting countries, and in this particular case the people of Iraq. The second aspect that we would underline as an indispensable ingredient for peace is the necessary balance to be struck between public security, fundamental freedoms and the enforcement and full enjoyment of human rights. Costa Rica joins in the Secretary-General's call on all security forces in Iraq, including the Iraqi Security Forces, to continue to do everything possible to avoid harming civilians and the disproportionate use of force.”
2008-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5949 (2008) · source
“Here, we urge the adoption of the necessary legislation providing guarantees to all political configurations for the important process in October and conferring all the necessary legitimacy on the result of these electoral processes. Sustainable peace is the result of a delicate combination of factors that can provide the certainty of achieving a better future through effort and discipline. In that regard, Costa Rica wishes to emphasize the need to pay special attention to two aspects. First, there is a need for public investment, particularly public investment that is more dynamic, broader and effective for development. There is also a need to ensure that the security situation is not improved at the expense of fundamental freedoms, the protection of the civilian population and the human rights of all.”
2008-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5949 (2008) · source
“The natural role of the United Nations in Iraq is to be a promoter of development, a facilitator of change and a catalyst for the improvement of the living conditions of the Iraqi people. Iraq's problems can be solved only through reconciliation and understanding among Iraqis without exclusion. The immediate attention that must be paid to the security situation must go hand in hand with a process of extending the legitimacy of the Government and its institutions. It is for the international community to support all endeavours to promote inclusive and meaningful political dialogue, as indicated by the Secretary-General in his report (S/2008/495). In the tasks of dialogue and reconciliation, of particular importance is the process of electoral preparation being carried out in Iraq with a view to the provincial elections.”
2008-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5949 (2008) · source
“In that regard, my country supports the renewal of the mandate of UNAMI and welcomes the fact that this will take place on terms satisfactory to the Government of Iraq. In our view, the United Nations presence has been decisive in the progress that has been made. We recognize and value the relations that UNAMI maintains with the Government of Iraq and we advocate its continued strengthening. The extended mandate of UNAMI, the leadership of Special Representative De Mistura and the commitment of his staff have made it possible for UNAMI to become a facilitator of solutions, an agent for change and an ally in the peacebuilding and sustainable development of Iraq.”
2008-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5949 (2008) · source
“Mr. Urbina (Costa Rica) (spoke in Spanish): I wish at the outset, Sir, to congratulate you and your delegation on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of August and to reaffirm my delegation's intention to support you in your work. I wish also to thank the delegation of Viet Nam for its excellent work during the month of July. I thank Mr. Pascoe for his briefing. Also, I thank Ambassador Wolff of the United States for his statement on behalf of the Multinational Force, and I thank the Permanent Representative of Iraq for his statement. Costa Rica welcomes the improvement of the still-delicate situation in Iraq. We acknowledge the endeavours of the Iraqi Government, with the support of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the Multinational Force.”
2008-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5949 (2008) · source
“In conclusion, we would like to make it very clear that we agreed to omit explicit reference in the resolution to elements that are important to us and vital for resolving the situation in the Sudan for the sake of unity in the Council and in order to ensure that UNAMID can carry out its mandate.”
2008-07-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5947 (2008) · source
“My delegation welcomes the fact that the resolution we have just adopted maintains the Council's commitment to bring to justice those who have violated the rights of the most vulnerable in that conflict. We also would have liked to include in the text a reference to other peacekeeping missions performing their tasks in countries bordering the Sudan. As on other occasions, we have advocated a regional approach that responds to the needs of the Sudan as a whole and takes into account the problems of neighbouring countries, the conflicts of which influence and determine the course of those in the Sudan.”
2008-07-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5947 (2008) · source
“That is why we supported the original text, which referred to the presidential statement of 16 June 2008. However, we have voted in favour of a text that does not include that reference but that, in the first preambular paragraph, reaffirms all previous resolutions and presidential statements adopted by the Council on the situation in the Sudan. As far as Costa Rica is concerned, that paragraph unconditionally reaffirms the presidential statement of 16 June 2008, in which the Council unanimously reaffirmed resolution 1593 (2005) and its request to the Government of the Sudan to honour its obligations stemming from that resolution, including that of cooperating with the International Criminal Court.”
2008-07-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5947 (2008) · source
“Mr. Urbina (Costa Rica) (spoke in Spanish): Costa Rica views this meeting as an important occasion. We have just adopted a resolution, the text of which renews the mandate of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) and the commitment of this Council to peace in that region. We always took part in the negotiations with the purpose of ensuring that the resolution include all the elements necessary for UNAMID to meet its objectives. In the course of the negotiations, we stated our opposition to the inclusion of elements that had no direct bearing on the Mission and that should have been addressed on a different occasion and in different circumstances. We would have liked the resolution to spell out the role that justice should play, in the Council's view, in resolving the conflict in the Sudan.”
2008-07-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5947 (2008) · source
“Costa Rica echoes the report of the Secretary- General and reaffirms the need for compliance with obligations with which the parties are very well acquainted. In the Middle East, there will be no final victory for some over the others: peace can only be the outcome of moderate voices calling for the creative and respectful coexistence of two independent States within secure and recognized boundaries.”
2008-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5940 (2008) · source
“We are also grateful to Turkey for its mediation, which has encouraged rapprochement between Israel and Syria, and to Qatar for its good 08-4326] offices, which have facilitated institutional normalization in Lebanon. We also recognize the efforts that made possible the exchange of prisoners between Israel and Hizbullah. We welcome the measures adopted by Palestinian security forces aimed at restoring order in the West Bank. We welcome the convening of the summit of the Union for the Mediterranean under the auspices of French President Sarkozy, which underscored the resolve of all parties to continue to work to ensure peace throughout the Mediterranean Basin and during which Syria and Lebanon announced the resumption of diplomatic relations.”
2008-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5940 (2008) · source
“The Council's irrelevance to international life could allow multilateral mechanisms to go to waste instead of being used as innovative instruments for attaining peace, protecting human rights and promoting development for all. In the light of all that, Costa Rica wishes to contribute to this debate a brief assessment of the situation in the Middle East. If the Council will not or cannot express its concern at the long-standing grave humanitarian situation in Gaza, and if the Council is will not or cannot condemn, as it should, policies and actions that undermine efforts to attain peace, it should at the very least consider positive elements that could help establish a climate conducive to understanding. In that regard, we are grateful to Egypt for its mediation that resulted in a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.”
2008-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5940 (2008) · source
“Outside these walls, the President of France, the United States Secretary of State and the Quartet freely reproach Israel for its persistent policy of establishing illegal settlements, but in this Council we are unable to reach a similar agreement, nor have we mustered sufficient resolve to condemn acts directed against Israeli territory that cannot be qualified as anything but terrorist. Frequently, too, we hear the Secretary- General voice ideas and launch appeals that should originate from or, at the very least, be embraced by the Council. For Costa Rica, the Council's silence can lead only to the persistent violation of all the norms that should govern civilized coexistence among peoples.”
2008-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5940 (2008) · source
“Our dear friend Ambassador Spatafora of Italy recently warned us that the Council's inaction could make it irrelevant as an actor on the international stage. Costa Rica is convinced that that is a luxury that the international community can ill afford. The United Nations and the Security Council in particular are part of a common estate that humankind must not squander. As has already been seen, the Council's irrelevance can lead only to a world that exists beyond the bounds of the law. That is a responsibility that Costa Rica will not join in shouldering. The consideration of the situation in the Middle East requires courage, as we know. We have sometimes borne witness in other forums to demonstrations of the courage that is so lacking here in the Council.”
2008-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5940 (2008) · source
“However, we feel that to be the price we must pay for the legitimacy that accrues to the Council when it heeds the voices of the States on whose behalf it exercises its mandate. I thank the Secretary-General for his report and Mr. Pascoe for his briefing this morning. As I have said on a previous occasion, the Security Council has become a part of the problems besetting the Middle East. For some years now, the voice of the Security Council has gone unheard and its contribution to resolving the region's problems has been close to nil. Worse yet, the Council's silence, arising from a stalemate caused by cross-purposes and selfish interests, is a sorry contribution to those problems, and not to the solutions that millions of human beings living in fear and anguish deserve.”
2008-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5940 (2008) · source
“Mr. Urbina (Costa Rica) (spoke in Spanish): I should like to begin by bidding farewell to my good friend Ambassador Gillerman, who has appeared before the Council today for the last time. I wish to tell him that we will miss him and his impassioned defence of his country's interests, and we shall always remember him gratefully. I also wish to thank the representative of Palestine for her statement. We thank you, Sir, and the Vietnamese delegation for convening this open debate and commend your leadership in ensuring that it took place. The situation in the Middle East truly requires the frequent involvement of the membership of the Organization. We understand and share the frustration of those who have criticized the way in which opportunities such as this are exploited by those seeking to advance domestic policy agendas.”
2008-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5940 (2008) · source
“It is essential to provide educational and vocational opportunities in order to prevent former child soldiers from being re-recruited, as occurs with some frequency. The new educational and vocational opportunities must ensure greater socio-economic well- being for the family. Particularly for children who have been removed from armed groups, education in times of conflict is much more than a path towards employment, as it is aimed at normalizing their lives and helping them to develop a new identity, separate from that of child soldiers. The challenge for us all is not only to put a definitive end to child recruitment and other grave violations, but also and above all to channel children's energies, ideas and dreams in a positive way that can contribute to the creation of a new post-conflict society.”
2008-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5936 (2008) · source
“The reintegration and rehabilitation of children associated with armed groups should be an indispensable component of that broader protection strategy, in particular in those cases where the marginalization of certain groups is a factor contributing to conflict. The reintegration process should help children to establish new foundations in their lives and should restore the opportunities snatched away from them by conflict for their physical, emotional and intellectual development. A truly effective integration and rehabilitation process should be inclusive, community- based and designed to help rebuild emotional trust between children and their families and to promote peace, security and stability in their communities, preventing ostracism and the stigmatization of those who have been the victims of child recruitment.”
2008-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5936 (2008) · source
“Today, we agree with you, Sir, that the United Nations should more fully tackle the problem of children and armed conflict. It should implement a broader protection strategy. The loss of basic services, such as access to drinking water, sanitation, health care and education, as well as the rise in child mortality, illiteracy and malnutrition, to name just a few, perpetuate the vicious circle, which then becomes the cause and consequence of conflicts. We have continually warned that global inequity and our neglect of the extreme poverty in which one fifth of humankind currently lives are factors that largely contribute towards creating a fertile breeding ground for conflict. That lack of equity and neglect of situations of poverty are also factors that punish children in particular.”
2008-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5936 (2008) · source
“It is also crucial that we work very closely with the affected States in order resolutely to combat impunity. To that end, the Security Council should carry out an in-depth analysis of the actions and sanctions that it could apply to those who continue to recruit children and to commit other crimes against children. Today, as we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute, the time is right to also consider the complementary role that the International Criminal Court can play in supporting States in their fight against impunity. During the debate held on this issue in February, we expressed our commitment to addressing the numerous consequences of armed conflict on children, and we agreed on the need to address the root causes of such conflict through a broad and comprehensive preventive strategy.”
2008-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5936 (2008) · source
“However, in the future we must work just as effectively to combat other violations of their rights. We must pay closer attention to the indirect consequences of conflicts, the harmful effects of which often grow into major obstacles that thwart the promise of a better future, even in a post- conflict period. The timely convening of this debate allows us to repeat our call for a review of the criteria of the monitoring and reporting mechanism. That would allow us to consider, in a more appropriate and efficient manner, each of the six grave Violations identified in resolution 1612 (2005). The recent progress made by the Council on issues such as sexual violence, as enshrined in the landmark resolution 1820 (2008), should be adequately reflected in the approach that the Working Group applies to the issue.”
2008-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5936 (2008) · source
“Mr. Urbina (Costa Rica) (spoke in Spanish): My delegation would like to thank you, Sir, for convening this debate. We also thank Ambassador Ripert, the Permanent Representative of France and Chairman of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict for the presentation of the Working Group's annual report. We also thank his delegation for its work and devotion to the issue before us, as well as for the leadership role that France has played. We are also grateful for the comments made by the Secretary-General, by Ms. Coomaraswamy, the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, the Executive Director of UNICEF and Ms. Hunt. Armed conflicts are a fertile breeding ground for the violation of each and every one of children's rights. To date, we have focused on the direct consequences of those conflicts on childhood.”
2008-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5936 (2008) · source
“Costa Rica believes that, with respect to this situation, regional organizations can offer very valuable support. We are therefore grateful for the efforts of the African Union and the League of Arab States, and urge them to continue to provide forums for a peaceful and consensual settlement of the situation. Of course, we also appeal to Djibouti and Eritrea to resume dialogue and to seek a solution to their differences through negotiation, making use of the appropriate instruments and bodies, and promptly to end the dispute between them. We thank the delegation of France for the points it circulated yesterday, which we can support for inclusion in a statement.”
2008-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5924 (2008) · source
“Although it is only natural that different countries have different views regarding their respective interests, particularly where colonial borders have not been consolidated, we feel that it should be pointed out that solutions that emanate from peace be based on caution and common sense and allow for areas of growth for brother countries. The conflict between Djibouti and Eritrea has its roots in the issue of borders that have never been defined and that are disputed. Such questions should be settled, in our View, through consultations and negotiations between the parties that explore ways of reaching new agreements through arbitration, mediation and the possibility of appealing to higher courts, such as the International Court of Justice. The use of specialized tribunals should also be considered as an option.”
2008-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5924 (2008) · source
“Mr. Urbina (Costa Rica) (spoke in Spanish): Allow me to begin by welcoming Mr. Dileita Mohamed Dileita, Prime Minister of Djibouti, and his Minister for Foreign Affairs, and by acknowledging the presence of the Permanent Representatives of Djibouti and Eritrea and the representatives of the League of Arab States and the African Union. The Horn of Africa cannot afford yet another conflict. That region cannot afford to resort to violence to settle yet another dispute. Brother nations must find solutions around the table of dialogue rather than in the trenches and with the use of weapons.”
2008-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5924 (2008) · source
“If we can achieve it, I am sure that the movements, militias and groups disrupting the peace in Darfur and the Sudan can see their problems resolved. Do forgive me, Mr. President, for deviating from my written statement. Having listened to my colleagues and the Special Envoys, my delegation and I would be very grateful if the Special Envoys, if they deem it appropriate, could give the Council an assessment of how they feel about the Government of the Sudan.”
2008-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5922 (2008) · source
“Salim that it is necessary to achieve consistency at the various levels of action. I believe there needs to be consistency in the international community and in regional efforts. We have not achieved that yet, but those are areas in which we can continue to work. I believe that achieving consistency in international efforts vis-a-vis the Government of the Sudan is an enormous task at the moment. We must approach it positively and in a spirit of cooperation and of making a contribution and building confidence. In that connection, we welcome the idea of a joint mediator. We are certain that, along with the work of the two Special Envoys, that should contribute to creating trust between the United Nations and the Government of the Sudan. Such understanding is absolutely essential.”
2008-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5922 (2008) · source
“As the representative of a country that does not have strategic interests in the region, I genuinely feel that this is a Government with deep distrust of the actions of the United Nations. It is a Government that ignores the resolutions adopted by the Security Council under the provisions of Chapter VII of the Charter. It is a Government that does not make any link between peace and justice. It is a Government that, with a certain degree of insolence, continues to keep Mr. Ahmad Harun as its Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and has not brought to justice Mr. Ali Kushayb, a well-known member of the Janjaweed who is also the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. One therefore legitimately wonders about the meaning of such action. I agree with Mr. Eliasson and Mr.”
2008-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5922 (2008) · source
“Nafi Ali Nafi speak without hesitation about his Government's major concerns and reservations with regard to United Nations actions. Listening to and reading the reports of the Special Envoys, I am now struck by their assessment of the internal divisions within the various movements and 08-3959] their will, or lack thereof, to participate. I truly understand what they have both said. I feel that their reports contain little assessment of the attitude of the Government of the Sudan. As understandable as that may be, it nevertheless seems to me that the Council can hardly act consistently without a fairly clear picture of the Government of the Sudan's attitude with regard to the efforts of the United Nations. It is worth recalling that the United Nations will spend $2.3 to $2.4 billion in the Sudan this year.”
2008-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5922 (2008) · source
“When we talked with representatives of humanitarian organizations in Darfur - and with the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) itself - they told us about the loss of almost $2 million in vehicles and equipment. Humanitarian organizations told us about the lives lost and the times they were attacked. They also told us about the restrictions on movement imposed on them and how it was impossible to go about in rented vehicles beyond certain areas. In other words, there are too many restrictions. I believe that primary responsibility falls on the Government of the Sudan, which must have a more open attitude towards the international community. In Friendship Hall, we 15 ambassadors heard presidential adviser Mr.”
2008-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5922 (2008) · source
“Today the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS) is searching for him, tomorrow it could be the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) or the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC). Everyone is after him, but our efforts remain disjointed. Today we have heard the Special Envoys state that the problems in the region are really one problem. The international community must first deal with this entire, singular problem in all its complexity. I should briefly like to emphasize the need for the Government of the Sudan to provide certain conditions that seem to us fundamental: working conditions for the United Nations missions, security for the missions and security for humanitarian workers.”
2008-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5922 (2008) · source
“Mr. Urbina (Costa Rica) (spoke in Spanish): I was recently able to speak with the President of Cote d'Ivoire, President Gbagbo, and I told him that my country, as a nation of Latin America, did not have any strategic involvement in Africa. When we examine African realities, we try to do so in a spirit of good faith and we truly try to make a contribution to the peace processes in the region. It is with that same attitude that we approach the issue of Sudan and the region. We have advocated many times in this Council for a regional approach. There are bandits such as Joseph Kony skipping around from one country to another in the region to elude his pursuers.”
2008-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5922 (2008) · source
“For that reason, Costa Rica pointed out during last month's debate on post-conflict peacebuilding convened by the United Kingdom (see S/PV.5895) the need for all peacekeeping operations to be conceived as integrated missions bringing together all United Nations efforts, including the contribution of the Peacebuilding Commission. Only in that way will we be on the road of prevention, able to provide an enduring response to this problem, one which has prevented women from fully playing their important role in preventing and settling conflicts and in building peace.”
2008-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5916 (2008) · source
“Violence against women in war and in all other contexts can be prevented only from the standpoint of the perpetrator. Violence against women in situations of armed conflict cannot be understood or prevented if it is analysed only through the prism of sexual violence. We are witnessing abhorrent methods of warfare; these are weapons of terror whose victims are not only the direct casualties but also their families and their communities. We must not trivialize this phenomenon, for that would be to continue to fail to prevent it and to respond to it effectively. It is indisputable that sexual violence, when carried out in a systematic and widespread manner and is part of an attack against innocent populations, exacerbates an armed conflict and becomes an enormous obstacle to its resolution and to peacebuilding.”
2008-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5916 (2008) · source
“Although our efforts to end impunity through action by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the ad hoc tribunals, are important and indeed indispensable, they are not sufficient. We must now enhance what we have been doing and must learn to create prevention mechanisms; that will be a complex and difficult process. If we truly want to be effective and to help women in times of conflict - women in Africa, women in the Balkans, women everywhere, the women of today and tomorrow - we must undertake the difficult task of engaging in prevention. I say it is difficult because prevention is not the same in all places or in all cultural contexts. I say it also because prevention cannot be tackled only from the standpoint of the woman: that would amount to making her out to be guilty of her own pain.”
2008-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5916 (2008) · source
“Their experiences oblige us to ensure that today's debate does not conceal the reality of the pain, humiliation and outrage behind technical language. This must be a debate that truly responds to the wish expressed by those women. None of them spoke to us of revenge; rather I recall them speaking to us of their hopes, their desire to return to their homes and their dream of living in a safe and secure environment. I also recall them expressing the hope that they will never again be victims of further violations and outrages. We must come away from today's debate prepared to learn to prevent. Hitherto we have focused our efforts on suppressing violence against women in situations of armed conflict and on fighting impunity. We have limited ourselves to seeking to carry out security sector reform - and not always with great success.”
2008-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5916 (2008) · source
“We are very clear that this is not the forum in which to advocate for the emancipation and empowerment of women, but we welcome today's meeting as an opportunity to debate the issue of violence against women in situations of armed conflict. On this day and in this place, we are witnessing a convergence of efforts to make war more humane and to ensure that women everywhere enjoy their full status as human beings. Two weeks ago, a group of Council representatives visited a number of camps for refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Darfur, Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There we heard the voices of women who spoke of the sufferings of war, the murder of their comrades, the massacre of their children and the violation of their bodies.”
2008-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5916 (2008) · source
“Mr. Urbina (Costa Rica) (spoke in Spanish): I would like to begin by thanking you, Mr. President, and your delegation for convening this important debate. I also thank the Secretary-General, the President of the General Assembly and the ministers that have taken part in this debate for their presence. I would like to welcome the presence of Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro and Her Excellency Ms. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Minister for Foreign Affairs of South Africa. Without a doubt, the twenty-first century should be the century of women. Despite all the progress made during the last century, women crossed the threshold of the third millennium bearing the heaviest of all human burdens.”
2008-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5916 (2008) · source
“Finally, my delegation would like to say that it looks favourably upon the recommendations to create a working group on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. This could be a useful tool to strengthen the work of the Council in this field through ample, systematic and, above all, continuous analysis and debate of the necessities for protection in each case.”
2008-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5898 (2008) · source
“The protection of civilians should be one of the main mandates in any United Nations mission in the field, whether it is a peacekeeping operation, or a political or peacebuilding mission. As established in resolution 1674 (2006), we must work on drawing up clear guidelines to ensure effective coordination among the various actors involved, in particular between the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. My country gives priority to the Council receiving extensive information on the implementation of the eight civilian-protection mandates created since 1999 so that we may assess their effectiveness and impact in the field and take the necessary measures to strengthen them and extend their application to other situations where it may be necessary.”
2008-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5898 (2008) · source
“My delegation is concerned by the fact that, although the majority of us agree that the protection of civilians is a general objective and one of the main justifications for United Nations presence in the field, at the same time we lack a unified and adequate understanding of the topics and dimensions that comprise the protection of civilians, particularly in multi-agency operations, where a concerted focus is particularly necessary to provide effective protection. The different political, humanitarian, military and development components of the various United Nations missions in the field lack such an integrated focus on the protection of civilians. Compliance with protection mandates depends on the interpretation that each mission wishes to give it.”
2008-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5898 (2008) · source
“A development-based perspective on protection could, for instance, provide increased access to water in cases like Sudan, where the struggle for access to natural resources is an important part of the conflict. That is why we restate our appeal that, every time the Council extends or authorizes a peacekeeping mission, it should incorporate a suitable peacebuilding component, with coordination of United Nations system activities, so as to turn it into an integrated mission.”
2008-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5898 (2008) · source
“It must be clear to us that, while humanitarian assistance and peacekeeping missions are important protection mechanisms, these are only temporary solutions, that are unsustainable without the appropriate political framework, as sadly we see in 08-3528] Somalia, where for the time being it is not even possible to deploy a peacekeeping operation and hundreds of people are dying every day. We clearly understand that constrained resources are one of the greatest challenges for missions, such as in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, when it comes to discharging their mandate appropriately. But we must bear in mind that the same resources could produce far greater dividends, if they were also invested in tackling the roots and causes of the conflict.”
2008-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5898 (2008) · source