YouSaid · the spoken record

Valentine Rugwabiza

lines on the record
18
first
2020-05-27
most recent
2020-12-14
sittings or episodes
2
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

  1. “If, on the other hand, they wish to live in other countries, that also is their full right, and they should apply for asylum in their country of choice, as is the case for every asylum seeker. What we find highly questionable is why those nine free persons, who are today free men and have no ongoing proceedings with the court, should continue to be the burden of the international community.”

    2020-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1236 (2020) · source

  2. “Rwanda wishes to remind the Council that, in all meetings with the principals of the Court, the Government has consistently made it clear that the nine Rwandans acquitted and released by the Court are free to go back and live in Rwanda, should they wish to do so. If they decide to do so, they will certainly not be the first Rwandans to return to Rwanda and live side by side with all other Rwandans in the enjoyment of their full rights. This has been the case for hundreds of thousands of Rwandans, former refugees, combatants and former genocide convicts who today live peacefully side by side with genocide survivors, a testament to the success of Rwanda’s unity and reconciliation. That decision to return to Rwanda, however, is theirs to make.”

    2020-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1236 (2020) · source

  3. “The report states that “the resettlement of the nine acquitted and released persons who are presently residing in Arusha and are unable or afraid to return to their country of citizenship remains unresolved. The present dilemma constitutes a humanitarian crisis that profoundly affects their rights.” The qualification of “humanitarian crisis” in reference to nine free men living comfortably in villas paid for by the international community, in a residential area of the touristic town of Arusha — with cleaning, cooking, communication and all accommodation services, with freedom of movement and visits — is abusive.”

    2020-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1236 (2020) · source

  4. “Rwanda will not tire in seeking justice for the more than 1 million souls exterminated during the genocide against the Tutsi in 1994. Two other issues stand out in the Mechanism’s report that call for the attention of the Council. With regard to the issue of genocide denial, the Office of the Prosecutor has regularly reported on genocide denial. The court has expressed its grave concern in that regard and called for urgent attention to those issues by the Council. Action must be taken by the Council to condemn genocide denial and hold to account cases of contempt of the court and attempts to revise witnesses’ testimonies. Finally, Rwanda disagrees with the characterization in the President’s report on the issue of the resettlement of the nine acquitted and released persons.”

    2020-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1236 (2020) · source

  5. “A constant of all reports by the Mechanism to the Security Council in the past two years is the lack of cooperation from some Member States with the Office of the Prosecutor in apprehending remaining genocide fugitives, which the Council has mandated that the court bring to justice. It is quite troubling that some Member States continue to fail to honour their legal obligations to cooperate with the Mechanism in bringing to justice genocide fugitives. The Office of the Prosecutor has struggled to obtain the cooperation of Member States in apprehending fugitives, even where there were clear leads and evidence of their presence in those countries. The pronouncements of commitment to international law and justice are not credible unless matched by action.”

    2020-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1236 (2020) · source

  6. “I thank President Agius and Prosecutor Brammertz for the useful briefings. We appreciate the good cooperation between the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals and the Government of Rwanda. Today’s briefing, as previous ones, is a reminder to the Security Council that victims are still waiting for justice. The Government of Rwanda takes note of the transfer of Mr. Kabuga to the Mechanism and his initial appearance. Now that Mr. Kabuga is in the custody of the Mechanism, Rwanda expects from the court efficient proceedings and for the trial to commence and conclude swiftly in order to finally render justice, 26 years after the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and 23 years after Mr. Kabuga was indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in 1997.”

    2020-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1236 (2020) · source

  7. “Let me reiterate the importance of having a common understanding of the scope and intensity of implementing protection-of-civilians mandates even amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Partnership and cooperation among the United Nations and regional organizations are essential. At the same time, training and properly equipping troops and police should, as such, conform to the realities in the mission field.”

    2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source

  8. “On the political front, Member States and non-State actors should support all efforts by the United Nations and regional organizations, particularly the African Union, in attempts to respond to and mediate conflicts. Peace agreements reached in the Sudan and South Sudan are clear evidence that the primacy of politics in the framework of United Nations partnership with regional organizations makes a collective approach to conflict resolution and conflict de-escalation work. Finally, we fully appreciate the central role and value of peacekeeping missions with protection-of-civilians mandates; we know what is at stake when we fall short of our expectations and responsibilities and what it will take to make peacekeeping effective now and in future.”

    2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source

  9. “The Principles address much broader challenges that undermine the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations conducted in conflict situations. So far 50 Member States, including top troop- and police-contributing countries as well as financial- contributing countries, have endorsed them. We call upon other Member States to come on board. We also appreciate the role of United Nations police in assisting with the protection of civilians, strengthening and extending law and order, building confidence and working towards proper and coordinated peace transitions. As peacekeeping missions turn into peacebuilding ones, enhancing policing and law enforcement becomes necessary.”

    2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source

  10. “Rwanda is happy to be among the top contributors of female police in peacekeeping missions. There is ample evidence that employing women in peacekeeping significantly reduces the potential for conflict and confrontation between communities. It provides a broader sense of security to local populations, including women and children. In that regard, we are supporting in practice the United Nations ambition to increase the percentage of female peacekeepers deployed. The Kigali Principles on the Protection of Civilians are a non-binding set of pledges to implement best practices in peacekeeping. It is the best instrument that addresses the most relevant aspects of peacekeeping, including assessment and planning, force generation, training and equipping personnel, performance and accountability.”

    2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source

  11. “Conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence continues to inflict physical and psychological suffering on women and girls in armed conflict. The COVID-19 pandemic poses extreme risks for women and girls in fragile and conflict-affected situations, mainly because the pandemic makes it more difficult for protection and humanitarian workers to reach vulnerable populations. Women should be at the centre of the response to the pandemic, and socioeconomic plans should be designed with the lives and future of women and girls in mind. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of women at all levels of peacekeeping. Reports show that deploying women in meaningful roles increases the effectiveness of peacekeeping and enhances missions’ ability to protect civilians.”

    2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source

  12. “In that regard, Rwanda recently partnered with the Central African Republic, a country that hosts a United Nations peacekeeping mission, to build COVID-19 testing capabilities through the training of laboratory technicians and the provision of testing equipment. This practical example of South-South bilateral cooperation shows that with modest, targeted and rapid interventions we can realize significant benefits in the protection of host communities and United Nations peacekeepers against COVID-19. We welcome previous mandates that explicitly respond to recurring issues of the protection of civilians and sexual and gender-based violence in armed conflict. We appreciate that there is increased attention to context-specific pre-deployment training, which is key to improving the operational capacity and performance of peacekeepers.”

    2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source

  13. “A recent report on COVID-19 cases in protection-of-civilians sites in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan is an urgent reminder that something needs to be done as soon as possible. We urge the Secretariat to come up with a concrete plan to contain the situation. The intercommunity spread of COVID-19 can be avoided if action is taken fast and as per World Health Organization guidelines. There is an urgent need for the Secretariat to mobilize resources and capabilities to contain and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in camps for internally displaced persons and refugees under the protection of United Nations peacekeepers in a context where social distancing is challenging.”

    2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source

  14. “Six of 13 current United Nations peace operations have the protection of civilians at the core of their mandates. Emerging challenges to international peace and security, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, necessitate a more robust and comprehensive approach to the protection of civilians. The safety and health of peacekeepers and other United Nations personnel are equally important. There are growing concerns over the rising trend of COVID-19 cases in host countries that make United Nations personnel susceptible to this pandemic. The situation calls for appropriate assistance. Our peacekeepers will be safer from contracting COVID-19 so long as host countries’ communities are safe.”

    2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source

  15. “In addition, protection of civilians mandates have not done enough to prevent killings, sexual and gender-based abuse or restrictions in the flow of humanitarian aid. In that vein, we wish to emphasize the following points. States Members of the United Nations and the Secretariat, in partnership with host nations, the African Union and other regional organizations, need to collectively strengthen compliance with international law as an essential legal instrument for the protection of civilians. Most civilian deaths, suffering and displacement could be avoided if parties to conflict consistently respected and diligently upheld the Geneva Convention and its Protocols. Peacekeeping operations are being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including through restrictions on movement and peacekeeper rotations.”

    2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source

  16. “The Secretary-General’s report (S/2020/366) notes that following the adoption of resolution 1265 (1999) and subsequent protection-specific resolutions, the Security Council enhanced the protection framework for civilians in armed conflict, which has saved the lives of many innocent people. However, the report also points to the fact that a lot remains to be done to strengthen the protection of civilians, including humanitarian personnel. We must acknowledge that the Geneva Convention and related Protocols have not been observed, hence the lack of ability to provide the desired protection to civilians in armed conflict, as armed groups have consistently violated their protection-of-civilians obligations.”

    2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source

  17. “Host nations of peacekeeping operations have not been spared either, which may affect the implementation of protection-of-civilians mandates and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the needy. Even amid COVID-19, our troops and police have maintained the tempo of operation while implementing protection- of-civilians mandates. Saving the lives of innocent civilians needs to be a primary responsibility of peacekeeping missions with protection-of-civilians mandates. The peace process is for the people, mainly civilians, in particular women and children, who are the most vulnerable to violence during armed conflicts. The failure to protect civilians from armed violence and atrocities, including sexual exploitation and abuse, during conflict defeats the purpose of peace undertakings.”

    2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source

  18. “I congratulate you, Sir, on your presidency of the Security Council for this month, and I thank you for having convened this meaningful discussion on peacekeeping with a particular focus on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. As a top troop- and police-contributing country, Rwanda considers this topic to be of critical importance in our collective effort to lend support in the implementation of the Security Council mandates on the protection of civilians. I join others in assuring the Council of my delegation’s full support in this endeavour. This debate comes at a time when Member States are facing an unprecedented global health crisis in the form of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.”

    2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source