YouSaid · the spoken record

Van Bohemen

lines on the record: 705
first: 1993-08-27
most recent: 2016-12-31
sittings or episodes: 114
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

“As a Council, we also need to consider what practical steps we can take in supporting the peace and reconciliation process. New Zealand continues to believe that the sanctions regime established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011) can play an important role in that regard and that sanctions can, and should, be used more actively to support progress on the ground. That includes targeted measures to reduce the ability of the Taliban to seek a military solution. One example is by taking further steps to restrict access to improvised explosive devices and their components. Another is creating incentives for meaningful engagement in the peace and reconciliation process.”
2016-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7722 (2016) · source
“We endorse Special Representative Haysom's call for the Government to adopt a broad and collaborative approach in the ongoing political dialogue. Similarly, we call on regional leaders to set aside their differences in pursuit of their shared interests in countering terrorism and in addressing the conditions that breed instability and extremism to the detriment of the security of the entire region. The resumption of a meaningful peace and reconciliation process remains another critical challenge. We recognize the difficulty of achieving that in the short term. But there is no getting around the fact that achieving a sustainable and peaceful Afghanistan is ultimately dependent on achieving some form of reconciliation between the Afghan State and some elements of the armed opposition.”
2016-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7722 (2016) · source
“Whether we like it or not, the Government and the people of Afghanistan need our continuing support. The conferences to be held later this year in Warsaw and Brussels will provide important opportunities for the international community to assess in what is needed and what can be provided. At the same time, the international community will be expecting clear results from the Afghan Government in return. The National Unity Government and regional actors need to show that they are brave enough to take the steps needed to achieve sustainable progress in addressing the challenges they face in a wide range of closed critical areas. The National Unity Government needs to provide the coherent and effective leadership its people so desperately need.”
2016-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7722 (2016) · source
“It is also more than disappointing to note that no progress has been made during this period in the peace and reconciliation process or in achieving the regional cooperation necessary to effectively meet the serious threats facing the region. Vital milestones for the National Unity Government are yet to be reached. Economic growth remains low, with few prospects for any improvement in the short term, and outward migration continues. All of that might seem to represent a poor return on the vast resources that have been poured into Afghanistan's security and reconstruction over the past decade. However, it is very clear from past history that, in the absence of sustained international support, Afghanistan will risk slipping once again into chaos.”
2016-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7722 (2016) · source
“The past three months have witnessed an increased frequency of attacks on civilians, including the deadliest incidents in Kabul since the Taliban rule ended 15 years ago, as well as killings of Government and judicial officials. Yesterday's separate attacks, killing another 30 people, mainly civilians, underscore the determination of the Taliban and other armed groups to maintain that bloody trajectory. It is hard to take seriously the Taliban's claim to be an alternative Government when they show such disregard for the lives of ordinary Afghans and of those who put themselves at risk in the international effort to help Afghanistan.”
2016-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7722 (2016) · source
“The Secretary-General's report (S/2016/532) identifies several areas in which modest progress has been made during the reporting period, including on financial planning and political appointments. We welcome this week's confirmation of the appointments for the positions of Minister of National Defence and of Director General of the National Directorate of Security, the last significant vacant positions to be filled in the Afghan Cabinet. We also welcome the filling of the last vacancy in the Afghan Supreme Court, and we acknowledge and welcome the continued determination and increasing professionalism of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces. However, that progress is more than offset by the enormous human toll the conflict continues to exact.”
2016-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7722 (2016) · source
“We wish to thank Special Representative Haysom for his briefing. He reminds us of the complex set of challenges facing Afghanistan. We thank him also for his patient commitment to achieving peace in Afghanistan and wish him well in his next, no-less-difficult, assignment. We look forward to continuing the Security Council's excellent relationship with his successor. Almost 40 years after the Saur Revolution, 20 years since the fall of Kabul to the Taliban and 15 years since the United States-led intervention that followed the 11 September attacks, sustainable peace for Afghanistan continues to appear as elusive as ever. The National Unity Government continues to face difficult political, economic and security challenges.”
2016-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7722 (2016) · source
“We look forward to further deepening cooperation in the strategic partnership between the United Nations and the European Union in the years ahead.”
2016-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7705 (2016) · source
“For example, the EU continues to play a significant role in Somalia through its development assistance under the Somali New Deal Compact, the European Union Military Training Mission in Somalia, the European Union Naval Force ATALANTA counter-piracy mission in Somalia and its ongoing funding for stipends for the troops of the African Union Mission to Somalia. The EU also continues to play a vital role in support of stability in Mali and the Central African Republic through its military training missions to strengthen the capability of local armed forces. Those are just a few examples of the EU's investment of effort and resources towards our common goals of maintaining international peace and security.”
2016-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7705 (2016) · source
“New Zealand sponsored resolution 2240 (2015) relating to the international efforts to intercept vessels off the Libyan coast suspected of migrant smuggling. We are ready to consider other contributions EU countries could make, in partnership with the Council, to support safety and stability in the Mediterranean as part of a comprehensive approach to addressing the challenges of irregular migration. We also welcome the EU's continued efforts to support the Government and people of Libya in achieving peace and stability, including through its support to the Libyan security sector and much-needed humanitarian, reconstruction and economic assistance. Finally, I want to acknowledge the very important role played by the EU's regional partnerships, particularly in Africa.”
2016-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7705 (2016) · source
“The international community, collectively and in its constituent parts, needs to do all it can to reduce the fighting, increase aid and the get the parties back to negotiations on a political transition. We encourage and welcome the EU's use of its influence to help make that happen. We also acknowledge the significant humanitarian and development assistance that the EU and its member States have provided to mitigate the human cost of the Syrian conflict and address its spillover effects in the region. In addition to the more than 1 million irregular migrants who entered the EU last year, many more continue to make the perilous journey across the Mediterranean. As we are all too aware, many are perishing in the attempt. As the United Nations has reported, the death toll in 2016 to date is higher than at the same point last year.”
2016-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7705 (2016) · source
“We also welcome the information that it will contain specific recommendations on rebuilding confidence and on encouraging the parties back to meaningful negotiations. Given the special relationship between the Quartet and the Council, we look forward to the Council having the opportunity to consider the Quartet's report and recommendations when released. We also welcome France's hosting of the ministerial meeting in Paris last Friday and hope that it can contribute momentum towards resuming negotiations between the parties. As others have said, in Syria the peace process is faltering and the humanitarian situation is disastrous and deteriorating. We are in serious danger of letting slip the best chance we have had in five years to end the conflict. We must not let that happen.”
2016-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7705 (2016) · source
“As a member of the Middle East Quartet, the European Union has a key role to play in ensuring that the peace process is revived through its support to the Palestinian Authority and to the United Nations, and through the various contributions of its 28 member States to encouraging the parties back to the negotiating table. New Zealand supports any constructive attempt to move the Middle East peace process forward. In particular, we have advocated for the Council to live up to its responsibilities and to take action to get the parties back to the negotiating table. We look forward to the release of the Quartet report, and are encouraged by the High Representative's assurance that it will be made public soon.”
2016-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7705 (2016) · source
“The EU also continues to play an essential role in facilitating dialogue aimed at normalizing relations between the authorities in Belgrade and Pristina. The crisis in neighbouring Ukraine has been a great concern for the EU and its member States, as it has been for New Zealand. We acknowledge the EU's ongoing role in supporting the implementation of the Minsk agreements and the objective of a lasting resolution of the crisis that is fully consistent with Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. As the High Representative has reminded us, in the Middle East the prospects for the two-State solution are diminishing.”
2016-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7705 (2016) · source
“New Zealand has deep and long-standing ties with the European Union (EU) and many of its member States have contributed to our development and our history. Those ties remain of deep importance and continuing relevance to our country. The European Union is an active and indispensable partner of the United Nations on a wide range of security-related challenges, including peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, non-proliferation and combating terrorism. Naturally, the EU plays a particularly important role in maintaining peace and security within its immediate neighbourhood. For many years, it has played central role in supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina's security and stability through its leadership of the European Union Force Althea stabilization force.”
2016-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7705 (2016) · source
“I thank High Representative Mogherini for her briefing. Today's meeting provides another useful opportunity for the Council to engage another significant regional partner, following our meetings last month with the African Union (see S/PV.7694) and the League of Arab States. New Zealand is a strong supporter of close collaboration between the United Nations and regional and subregional bodies. Such bodies are essential partners for the Council in delivering on its mandate to maintain international peace and security. Indeed, the effectiveness of the Council often rests in large part on its cooperation with regional organizations. It is in all our interests to ensure that the engagement between the Council and the regional bodies is as effective and productive as possible in preventing and resolving conflict.”
2016-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7705 (2016) · source
“While the United States and Russian efforts are critical, the United States and Russia are not the only actors that can make a difference. New Zealand supports the International Syria Support Group and the Security Council putting their weight behind the political talks. We are open to any course of action that would be helpful and effective and would welcome the views of the Special Envoy, the United States and Russia in particular on how this Council might best support their efforts. We all need to remember that the stakes are high. The breakdown of the peace process would be catastrophic for the Syrian people and for preserving what remains of this shattered country. We look forward to discussing the press statement just circulated by the United Kingdom and to early agreement upon it.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7687 (2016) · source
“If the cessation ofhostilities and the peace process are to have any chance of succeeding, greater care is required to distinguish between those groups that are participants in the peace process and those that are outside it, and greater weight given to the overall political need to advance the peace process. The talks that have been under way between the United States and Russia, in coordination with the Special Envoy and others in the region, are the best chance we have in the short term to make progress and to see an end to fighting, particularly in and around Aleppo. We welcome those talks, we welcome the recent announcement, and we look forward to further progress in such areas as further geographical delineation and other measures to help restore and sustain the cessation of hostilities.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7687 (2016) · source
“As we have said in the Council Chamber and in the adjacent room, this should be an issue that unites us, but it has not been, and there has been a growing tendency to use the words "terrorism" and "terrorists" loosely in justification for any military response. That must stop. Any military action needs to be carried out with full respect for international humanitarian law. This of course means avoiding attacks on civilians and civilian targets. The requirements of distinction and proportionality and the prohibition on indiscriminate attacks must be respected, even when fighting terrorists.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7687 (2016) · source
“Most of all, good faith in this context means adhering to the spirit of the cessation of hostilities, which means stopping the fighting and attempts to grab land. What has happened in Aleppo in the past few days was all too predictable, as we heard reports over the past two weeks from United Nations representatives. While we have understood that there have been efforts to battle Al-Nusra, it is hard not to conclude that what has happened has all been part of an elaborate plan to seize Syria's second-largest city before the peace talks got seriously under way. New Zealand is fully committed to international efforts to combat terrorism.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7687 (2016) · source
“We all have a responsibility to support the talks, to support the Special Envoy and to pressure the parties at the negotiating table to participate in good faith. In our View, good faith means increasing access for humanitarian aid, negotiating the release of detainees, stopping the fighting and engaging on the substance of a political transition. It also means stopping attacks on schools and hospitals and allowing medical supplies to be delivered in humanitarian convoys. Just yesterday, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2286 (2016), reminding combatants of the rules of armed conflict, demanding protection for those who provide health care, and demanding accountability for those who flout those rules.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7687 (2016) · source
“We welcome the news that it has been agreed between the United States and the Russian Federation to extend the cessation of hostilities to Aleppo, Latakia and eastern Ghouta. But if peace is to have any chance, there must be a full re-establishment of the cessation of hostilities to all of Syria and a genuine recommitment to the peace process. All sides must invest fully in the political process. That means respecting international humanitarian law. It means respecting the Council's resolutions, and it means prioritizing the welfare of the Syrian people over narrow political and military aims. The current political process, established at the end of 2015 under resolution 2268 (2015), represents the best chance we have had in five years to end this awful war. We cannot afford to miss that opportunity.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7687 (2016) · source
“We too wish to thank the United Kingdom for convening today's meeting. We think it is very timely to have an open discussion in the Chamber about the situation in Syria, and in particular the situation in Aleppo. New Zealand has been deeply concerned about the violence in Aleppo and elsewhere in Syria. We continue to be shocked at the apparent indifference of the parties to the war and all of their backers to the appalling suffering of the Syrian people. The escalation of violence in and around Aleppo shows that the parties have been continuing to pursue their objectives by military means. And yet, as we have said so many times in the Chamber and in the adjacent consultation room, there can be no military solution to the conflict.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7687 (2016) · source
“As the Monitoring Team keeps the Committee apprised of the evolving threat posed by ISIL, Al-Qaida and their affiliates, the Committee will also work closely with key actors, including the other relevant Security Council sanctions committees.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7686 (2016) · source
“I encourage those Member States that have not done so to submit their implementation reports called for in paragraph 36 of resolution 2253 (2015). The Committee is also playing its part in assisting Member States' engagement with the sanctions regime. The Committee already held one open briefing for interested Member States last month, and plans to hold another two such open briefings before the end of this year. A one-page outline is available in the Chamber today, providing an overview of the key upcoming dates and deadlines for 1267 Committee engagement. We are also in the process ofupdating the Committee's guidelines with the aim of improving the regime's efficiency and effectiveness. These guidelines were last updated in 2013. It is important that Committee processes support the efficient and effective operation of the regime.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7686 (2016) · source
“But for this to happen, the Committee needs targeted designations of individuals involved in the generation and movement of assets. Member States with information about these individuals and entities have a role to play by putting forward new listing requests, as encouraged in resolution 2253 (2015). It is also crucial that Member States engage with and provide updated information to the Monitoring Team and 1267 Committee on the nature of the threat, listed individuals and entities, and the status of their implementation and enforcement of sanctions measures. This information is fundamental to the operation of the regime. The Council and international community can target their response effectively only if they have up- to-date information.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7686 (2016) · source
“As pressure increases on the ISIL core in Iraq and Syria, it is expected that ISIL will look to move funds to those affiliates, including through the use of informal money transfer arrangements. It is crucial, therefore, that Member States, particularly those neighbouring Iraq and Syria, be vigilant in implementing the 1267 regime. This movement of funds and fighters outside of ISIL-controlled territory provides an opportunity for Member States to detect and prevent the wider spread of ISIL. This is where the sanctions measures can have the most impact. When effectively targeted and implemented, the sanctions can place pressure on ISIL and its affiliates, preventing the dispersal of funds and disrupting further attacks on civilian populations. The measures for the freezing of assets are one area where the sanctions can really bite.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7686 (2016) · source
“Many now use broken travel routes to and from conflict zones, making it much harder to track them. Whereas previously they may have travelled directly from their state of residence to a neighbouring country of the conflict zone, they are now taking multiple, indirect routes, often using more than one passport. If we are to get on top of this threat, it is essential that Member States implement the steps called for in resolutions 2170 (2014) and 2178 (2014) and share information to enable better detection and disruption of travel by foreign terrorist fighters. ISIL affiliates in Libya, Afghanistan and Yemen are steadily gaining a foothold and becoming increasingly important to the survival of ISIL.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7686 (2016) · source
“And as pressure on ISIL's core increases, foreign terrorist fighters are also seeking to return home. Those developments pose both a challenge and an opportunity for improving the impact and effectiveness of the 1267 sanctions regime. While some foreign terrorist fighters return from conflict zones disillusioned by what they have experienced, others come back radicalized, battle-hardened and well networked. Such fighters pose a real threat to the wider international community. Member States from all regions of the world are affected. These fighters can exploit networks, including with local Al-Qaida affiliates, to conduct terror attacks. Their capacity to initiate complex attacks at great speed is already becoming a reality. It is also difficult to detect the travel of foreign terrorist fighters.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7686 (2016) · source
“It has lost control of some territory, and the destruction of significant parts of its oil infrastructure has led to a drop in internal revenue generation. As a response to that, however, we have seen ISIL looking to increase revenue from other streams, including internal taxation, smuggling antiquities and, potentially, kidnapping for ransom. Nor is ISIL short of arms and fighters. Although recent reports indicate that the flow of recruits to it is slowing, estimates suggest that to date upwards of 30,000 foreign terrorist fighters have travelled to Iraq and Syria. As reported by the Monitoring Team, in response to the pressure on its core, ISIL's centre of gravity is shifting. The threat is expanding geographically as ISIL affiliates spring up around the world.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7686 (2016) · source
“Since then, the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team established pursuant to resolutions 1526 (2004) and 2253 (2015) concerning the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da'esh), Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities, tasked with keeping us apprised of the threat posed by ISIL, Al-Qaida and affiliates, has provided the Committee with several updates. In February, the Monitoring Team briefed the 1267 Committee and the Counter-Terrorism Committee on the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters, and more recently also briefed the 1267 Committee on the expansion of ISIL beyond Iraq and Syria. I will share some of its findings today. The threat posed by ISIL has shifted somewhat since December. ISIL's core in Iraq and Syria is under pressure.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7686 (2016) · source
“Since my previous briefing to the Security Council in December (see S/PV.7587), the Security Council has adopted resolution 2253 (2015), which refocused the work of the Committee established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da'esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities on the threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), or Da'esh, and its affiliates, and on limiting the financing of those groups.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7686 (2016) · source
“Key stakeholders, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and Medecins Sans Frontieres, were also closely engaged in the process. We are grateful for their support. Lastly, let me pay tribute to my Deputy, Mrs. Carolyn Schwalger, and her team for their leadership on this initiative.”
2016-05-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7685 (2016) · source
“We fully endorse the call for principled pragmatism in its application. Importantly, today's resolution requests the Secretary-General to brief the Council annually on the implementation of the resolution. New Zealand hopes to see the participation of relevant organizations and civil society at those briefings. As Ms. Liu has told us, our work today on this issue is only just beginning. We expect her and the International Committee of the Red Cross to hold us to account. Today's resolution is also significant from a working methods perspective. Five elected members cooperated in developing the text. Close consultation with all Council members and openness to negotiation enabled its unanimous adoption.”
2016-05-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7685 (2016) · source
“It demands that parties to armed conflict facilitate safe and unimpeded passage for medical personnel, their equipment, transport and supplies to all in need. Let us be clear: those legal requirements already exist. Some of them are among the oldest rules of international humanitarian law. The problem is one of respect and compliance. On the practical side, the resolution emphasises the importance of education and training in applicable international humanitarian law and its integration into the practice of armed forces. It also stresses the need to end impunity and urges States to take action to ensure accountability. As Mr. Maurer has pointed out, modern warfare, as we are seeing played out in Syria and elsewhere, makes it all the more important that international humanitarian law be respected.”
2016-05-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7685 (2016) · source
“We are shining a light on behaviour that is becoming all too prevalent, but should not be happening. The law is clear and so is our message. The wounded and sick, medical personnel, facilities, transport and equipment must be respected and protected. The delivery ofmedical assistance must not be obstructed. It is that simple. Resolution 2286 (2016) unequivocally condemns attacks on health-care workers and health-care facilities. It reaffirms the laws of armed conflict that recognize the protected status of medical missions, the sick and the wounded. It recalls key international humanitarian law principles of distinction and precaution and the prohibition against indiscriminate attacks. It stresses the need for medical personnel to be able to uphold their professional codes of ethics, including the duty to provide impartial care.”
2016-05-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7685 (2016) · source
“Urgently needed medical supplies have been routinely blocked or removed from aid convoys by protagonists who have sought to deny access to health care in order to achieve military objectives. This alarming trend shows no Sign of abating as the attacks on medical facilities in and around Aleppo starkly illustrate. The consequences of such actions are measured not only in the immediate loss of human life but also in the longer-term disruption to health-care systems that are often already severely overstretched. The destruction of one hospital can affect the delivery of health-care services to tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of people. Such consequences endure well beyond the end of hostilities. The Council has spoken today with one voice to deliver a firm response to this growing global problem.”
2016-05-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7685 (2016) · source
“We would like to thank the Secretary-General, Mr. Peter Maurer, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and Ms. Joanne Liu, International President of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), for their briefings. I also want to pay tribute to the workers of the ICRC and MSF and other humanitarian organizations for the very difficult work that they do. The adoption of resolution 2286 (2016) comes at a time when health-care workers and facilities are, quite literally, under fire in a number of current conflicts, most of which are on the Security Council's agenda. In Afghanistan, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen, hospitals and other medical facilities have been attacked by parties to armed conflict. Health-care workers have been killed and injured, kidnapped, harassed and intimidated for carrying out their medical duties.”
2016-05-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7685 (2016) · source
“Ladsous told the Council quite categorically on Wednesday (see S/PV.7679), we can no longer procrastinate in addressing these deep underlying issues. MINURSO fulfils an essential function, and its inability to fulfil its mandate risks fuelling further instability in an already troubled region. The Council must provide the full weight of its support to the Mission. Notwithstanding our abstention, New Zealand reiterates its full support for MINURSO, its mandate, the Secretary-General, his Personal Envoy and Special Representative. Finally, in our view, every member of the Security Council must reflect on the broader implications of the current episode over MINURSO's deployment for the Council's stewardship of its peacekeeping operations globally.”
2016-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7684 (2016) · source
“Thirdly, on the core political direction of the mandate, the Council should have taken up the sensible and appropriate advice of the Secretary-General, reiterated in this week's consultations by the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General, Christopher Ross, and Under-Secretary-General Herve' Ladsous, that the time had come to engage in serious negotiations without preconditions and in good faith to reach a mutually acceptable political solution that would provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. And that mutually acceptable solution should include the resolution of the dispute over the status of Western Sahara, including through agreement on the nature and form of the exercise of self-determination. As Mr.”
2016-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7684 (2016) · source
“First, the resolution should have stated the reality that the expulsion of the civilian component had seriously compromised the Mission and its ability to discharge its mandate. These facts have been repeatedly stated by the Secretariat in its briefings to the Council over the past month. Secondly, the resolution should have called for the immediate restoration of the full functionality of the Mission and provided for the Council's continued engagement to ensure that a return to full functionality is achieved in the near future.”
2016-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7684 (2016) · source
“Rather, we have seen, again, the preparation of a text in a Group of Friends whose composition does not reflect the span of perspectives that exists on the Western Sahara, neither among the protagonists on this issue nor on the Council, and an unwillingness to accept modest amendments on a text that deals with an issue of importance to the whole Council, indeed to the whole United Nations membership. In New Zealand's view, today's resolution falls short of what the Council should be doing to discharge properly its responsibilities on the Western Sahara. A resolution that truly reflected the gravity of the current crisis over the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and the magnitude of the challenge inherent in the full discharge of the MINURSO mandate should have done the following things.”
2016-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7684 (2016) · source
“It was with great disappointment that New Zealand abstained today. This was the first time during our current term on the Security Council that we have not supported the adoption of a Council resolution. It should not have been like this. It should have been possible to maintain the tradition of consensus on this important issue. We thank the United States for its determined efforts to that end. But consensus implies a meeting of minds and common commitment. Those elements have not been a feature of the preparation of this resolution.”
2016-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7684 (2016) · source
“All sides need to intensify their efforts to ensure that support reaches civilians in affected areas and those that have been displaced by the violence. Ultimately, however, the lives of civilians will be best protected through full implementation of the Minsk Agreements and the restoration of peace. Lastly, let me reiterate New Zealand's rejection of Russia's annexation of Crimea, in violation of the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of the Organization.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“Reaching agreement on modalities for elections - which are to be held in accordance with relevant OSCE standards, monitored by the OSCE and in a secure, stable environment - is a priority. Discussions in the Trilateral Contact Group and Normandy format need to be approached in good faith and with a determined focus on problem-solving. We hope that practical steps can be agreed in order to break the current impasse. We must not lose sight of the ongoing suffering of the civilians caught up in this conflict and its aftermath. The humanitarian challenges flowing from the crisis in Ukraine continue to affect the lives of millions. Huge numbers of Ukrainians face daily challenges accessing basic necessities, including food and water.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“It is therefore of real concern that OSCE monitors continue to face significant constraints on access and movement in areas under separatist control, including along most of the Ukrainian border that remains under separatist control. Again, we urge Russia to use its influence over the separatists to ensure that OSCE monitors can effectively and safely fulfil their responsibilities under the package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements. We condemn recent aggressive acts against OSCE monitors in separatist-controlled areas, including being fired upon and threatened at gunpoint. Such actions must be repudiated by all sides. On the political aspects of the Minsk agreements, we need to see faster progress.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“Beyond the terrible human costs, the failure to stabilize the security situation has also made progressing other aspects of the Minsk agreements much more difficult. We call on the parties to honour their commitments and implement all aspects of the Minsk agreements. This is the best path towards a stable and lasting peace. As a matter of priority, all parties must deliver on their commitment to a genuine ceasefire and the withdrawal of heavy weapons, monitored and verified by the OSCE. We reiterate our call on Russia to use its influence over the separatists to ensure that they implement commitments made in Minsk. The OSCE has a critical role to play in verifying implementation.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“The second agreed measure - the withdrawal of heavy weapons - has also not been fully implemented. Recent reports of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) highlight the use of artillery, mortars and tanks, all of which were supposed to have been pulled back from the contact line over year ago. The situation is deeply troubling. Given the abundance of arms in the separatist-controlled regions, there is a real risk of further violent escalation. The persistent violence has caused the deaths of thousands ofpeople, with tens ofthousands more injured. Essential civilian infrastructure has been damaged and cannot be repaired amidst flying bullets and falling shells. More than 1.5 million people are internally displaced.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“I should like to begin by thanking Ukraine for calling for this debate and to welcome the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs to our meeting. I also want to thank Assistant Secretary-General Zerihoun and Ambassadors Apakan and Sajdik for their briefings. In February 2015, the Council endorsed the package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements, which laid out a number of agreed steps aimed at ending hostilities, alleviating humanitarian suffering and establishing a path towards resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Yet more than a year later, none of these measures has been implemented fully. Even the first and most basic of the agreed measures - an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire - is routinely violated. Worryingly, these violations have increased in intensity in recent weeks.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“This is an important step towards a joint regional response to addressing maritime security, including incidents of piracy at sea in what, as others have said, is a vast geographic area. Finally, the Council can provide an ongoing international focus in support of the regional efforts. For this reason, New Zealand is a strong supporter of presidential statement S/PRST/2016/4, which was adopted today.”
2016-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7675 (2016) · source