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

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“This means ensuring that countries of the region have the right legislation to prosecute and punish those who are apprehended, and this is backed by the necessary will at the senior levels of Government to take these steps. It also requires frameworks for operational and legal cooperation. Within the Gulf of Guinea, there are a number of subregional bodies playing a positive role in tackling piracy at sea, including the Economic Community of West African States, the Economic Community of Central African States and the Gulf of Guinea Commission. We encourage further progress to operationalize the Interregional Coordination Centre for Maritime Safety and Security in the Gulf of Guinea, in Yaounde.”
2016-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7675 (2016) · source
“In the Gulf of Guinea, much of the piracy problem has its roots in the long-standing grievances of marginalized groups in the Niger Delta and in the insidious links that have emerged between local insurgencies and cross-border criminal activity, particularly oil smuggling. To enjoy success in the long term, counter-piracy efforts must be part of a more comprehensive approach to addressing the drivers of criminality and instability. As we learned in Somalia and elsewhere, it is vital that the necessary national and legal frameworks be in place to enable effective prosecution of those directly and indirectly involved in piracy.”
2016-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7675 (2016) · source
“In addition to enhancing security responses to criminal activities at sea, we need to address some ofthe roots causes ofthose issues. One area that warrants particular attention is to ensure that coastal States can maximize the benefits from their natural resource bases, both at sea and on land, to ensure that people are able to make meaningful contributions to their own and their countries' economic prosperity. This requires strong institutions, effective regulatory frameworks and strong political will. The inverse situation inhibits sustainable economic development and propels the marginalized to consider other options for economic survival, such as criminal activity.”
2016-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7675 (2016) · source
“We recognize, of course, that the scale of the problem in the Gulf of Guinea is much greater than any that has so far arisen in our region. It is deep seated and pervasive, and it threatens not only the economies and security of the smaller States, but is also a major threat to the peace and stability of larger nations, including even Nigeria. Piracy prospers where onshore governance is weak and the capacity of local authorities to monitor and maintain control over their maritime territories is limited. It is able to flourish because the pirates at sea have collaborators and collusionists on land. In that sense, piracy degrades the cohesion and stability of coastal States by undermining governance, exacerbating instability and hampering development. As we have said many times before in this Chamber, prevention is better than cure.”
2016-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7675 (2016) · source
“Without this, criminal networks will simply move on and exploit the weakest link - those States that are least able to monitor and take enforcement action against crimes committed at sea. Such cooperation must also extend internationally. The Royal New Zealand Navy frigates Te Mana and Te Kaha have participated in a multinational operations focused on counter-piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off the eastern coast of Somalia. The Royal New Zealand Air Force has also participated in NATO's counter- piracy operation Ocean Shield. Last year, we also worked closely with a number of West African countries to share information on vessels that had been involved in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the Southern Ocean. This cooperation with West African coastal States was highly appreciated.”
2016-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7675 (2016) · source
“As highlighted by our Minister for Foreign Affairs during last year's open debate on the challenges facing small island developing States (see S/PV.7469), we are a Pacific country with a significant stake in the peace and security of small island developing states in our region. Many of the vulnerabilities that are faced by countries in the Gulf of Guinea are similar to those that small island developing States encounter in the Pacific and elsewhere. Their capacity limitations make them a target for transnational criminal networks, including those involved in piracy. One of the things we have learned from our region in dealing with transnational organized crime is the crucial importance of effective cooperation and coordination between countries.”
2016-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7675 (2016) · source
“New Zealand commends China for convening this debate. We acknowledge Senegal and Angola for ensuring this important issue receives the Council's sustained attention. We also thank Assistant Secretary-General Zerihoun for his briefing. Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea is a serious drag on the economic development of the countries of the region and a serious threat to regional and international peace and security. New Zealand is a maritime nation that exports to the world. Around 99 per cent of our trade by volume is carried by merchant shipping. As such we understand the importance of effective maritime security to our well-being, as well as to the stability of our region.”
2016-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7675 (2016) · source
“We cannot hope to meet the unprecedented terrorist threat we currently face without reducing the appeal of terrorist narratives and addressing the factors that drive vulnerable young people to join such groups. That is long-term work across decades and generations that requires a commitment to building social cohesion and engagement and to fostering inclusive, tolerant communities. We need national responses targeted to the circumstances of specific countries and communities. The Council also needs to consider what role it can play in supporting such efforts and how its actions, statements and decisions can support our collective response to countering these insidious narratives. Those are issues that we consider warrant serious reflection by the Council.”
2016-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7670 (2016) · source
“Security- and law-enforcement measures will be important, but rehabilitation and reintegration also need to form a significant part of our response, if we are to prevent further alienation and radicalization. We must also ensure that our response is compliant with, and deeply grounded in, the values that are central to the Organization: respect for the rule of law and for fundamental human rights. International cooperation in the form of information-sharing, the exchange of good practice, judicial cooperation and targeted capacity- building also has a central role to play. Those countries most at risk cannot be left to face these challenges alone. Secondly, the Council needs to play its role in taking forward recommendations from the Secretary- General's recent report on preventing violent extremism (A/70/674).”
2016-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7670 (2016) · source
“The Council also has an important role to play in identifying and addressing critical gaps in international counter-terrorism efforts. In that regard, I wish to highlight two specific areas that we feel warrant particular attention in the months ahead. First, we need to ensure an effective response to the challenges posed by the increasing flow of foreign terrorist fighters returning to their homes or travelling to third countries. The Council took decisive steps in resolution 2178 (2014) to address the flow of foreign terrorist fighters into conflict zones. With an estimated 30,000 foreign fighters from more than 100 countries currently active and as the tide in the battle for territory turns, we must have strategies to address the enormous social challenges and security risks that will be posed by returning former fighters.”
2016-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7670 (2016) · source
“A comprehensive approach remains critical - one that also addresses the underlying drivers ofviolent extremism. As the Secretary-General hasjust reminded us, this year's biennial review of the United Nations Global Counter-terrorism Strategy presents an opportunity to assess whether the structures, information-sharing mechanisms and resources currently in place are sufficient to support effective and efficient cooperation within the United Nations, among Member States and with relevant actors in the private sector and civil society. It also is timely for the Council to consider what steps it can take to strengthen the United Nations counter- terrorism architecture, catalyse necessary action and ensure that all parts of the system are working together and without unnecessary duplication, while facilitating effective capacity-building.”
2016-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7670 (2016) · source
“Today's joint briefing by the Chairs of the Security Council Committee 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, which is being held in another room at Headquarters, provides a further opportunity to consider those issues. Security cooperation has an important role to play, particularly in countering groups such as Da'esh, Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram that seek to impose their will through fear and force. New Zealand is playing its part through its support to the Iraqi Government in its efforts to combat the forces of Da'esh within its territory, but security responses alone are not an effective and enduring solution to the terrorist threat.”
2016-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7670 (2016) · source
“There are no quick or simple solutions. What is clear, however, is that, now more than ever, international cooperation is vital to keeping our communities safe. The United Nations has a central role to play in ensuring that we remain united in our resolve and in supporting a coordinated and effective approach at the national, regional and global levels. Over the years, a range of measures, such as the designation of terrorists and terrorist organizations and steps to suppress the financing of terrorism have been adopted to address the threat. More work is needed to ensure that those measures are implemented effectively. While the Council has a key role to play, including through its sanctions committees, Member States and other actors, such as the Financial Action Task Force, are crucial to those efforts as well.”
2016-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7670 (2016) · source
“I want to thank China for initiating this open debate, which provides an important opportunity to consider one of the most serious and complex challenges facing the international community. I also thank the Secretary-General for his briefing. Global terrorism is not a new phenomenon. But the threat that it now poses is unprecedented in its scale, reach and human cost. The past two years have been among the bloodiest on record. Around the globe, on a nearly daily basis, indiscriminate attacks have been destroying the lives of everyday people, leaving trauma and fear in their wake. And while a relatively limited number of States continue to bear the brunt of that carnage, the rise of new pernicious global networks and their sophisticated use of modern communications technology mean that no country can consider itself safe from that menace.”
2016-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7670 (2016) · source
“It is vital that we pay close attention to the Great Lakes region in the year ahead, particularly the evolving situations in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and that the Council be ready to act - discreetly and sensitively, with the Secretariat and regional partners - to ensure that the people of that region are spared further tragedy so that they can build a future commensurate with the human and natural resource capital of the region.”
2016-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7653 (2016) · source
“More broadly, New Zealand remains concerned that the international community and the United Nations itself continue to underfund conflict prevention. The review of peace operations identified the urgent need to shift our focus from investing resources when we respond to crises to the far more cost-effective and humane business of preventing conflict. We call for urgent and favourable consideration by the Fifth Committee of the modest proposals put forward in that regard by the Department of Political Affairs. We need stronger mediation and analytical capacity in the United Nations, and we need to invest more in regional engagement.”
2016-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7653 (2016) · source
“That means proceeding early before problems are entrenched; it means being respectful and genuinely listening to national and regional actors; and it means coming to discussions without political agendas, other than the prevention of conflict and the saving of lives. Fourthly, in order to be effective in preventing conflict, the Council must take a more inclusive approach, involving the countries concerned, important regional stakeholders and others who can contribute to our discussions in a balanced and collegial way. We think that we should make more use of informal, interactive formats aimed at deepening our political analysis of the issues involved and building shared understanding of the drivers of conflict. If we do not understand the issues properly, we will come up with the wrong solutions.”
2016-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7653 (2016) · source
“We need to find ways to make meaningful engagement an everyday habit, particularly in dealing with complex challenges, such as the conflict risks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan. Perhaps the Ad Hoc Working Group could play a greater role there. Thirdly, both Council members and national and regional stakeholders need to move beyond the current false dichotomy between confrontation and non-intervention, which so often leads to inertia. Early engagement to prevent conflict is both a legitimate and a necessary role for the Council. At the same time, such efforts are more likely to be effective when conducted in a manner that is sensitive to concerns of national sovereignty and when stakeholders see the Council as a body committed to working with them in order to try to resolve real problems.”
2016-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7653 (2016) · source
“To achieve that, we will need to be open to some changes in our working methods, so as to enable Council members to better engage using a problem-solving mindset. We also need to invest in building a real working relationship with the Department of Political Affairs and to strengthen the quality of information that we receive from the Department and the wider Secretariat. Secondly, improving our game also means making practical improvements to the Council's willingness and ability to work with regional organizations, particularly the AU, on emerging conflict risks. The Council's interaction with the AU Peace and Security Council in Addis Ababa in January demonstrated the value of such engagement.”
2016-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7653 (2016) · source
“New Zealand argued for early, discreet engagement on the part of the Council in Burundi, including through the dispatch of a mini- mission to support the efforts of the African Union (AU), thr Secretariat and regional partners. It took six months for that visit to happen. By that time, the crisis was entrenched, and the scope for quiet diplomacy was seriously diminished. We cannot afford to allow opportunities for early preventive engagement to slip through our fingers. In our View, there are a number of steps that the Council can take to improve its game. First, we must find ways to improve the Council's awareness of risks of evolving conflict, so as to enable more timely, consistent and effective attention to its role in managing them.”
2016-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7653 (2016) · source
“Initially, that Working Group provided practical leadership on specific country situations and pioneered innovative working methods that have since been adopted by the Peacebuilding Commission's country-specific configurations. We would like to see such leadership again. Since joining the Council, New Zealand has advocated for more serious and effective efforts to address emerging conflict risks. Effective conflict prevention requires a willingness to be flexible and to work patiently and discreetly with national and regional stakeholders. It also requires a genuine commitment by stakeholders to look for solutions, rather than for excuses for delaying engagement.”
2016-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7653 (2016) · source
“The Security Council must actively support those processes. During New Zealand's campaign for election to the Council, we heard time and time again that the single greatest priority for improving the Council's effectiveness was to strengthen its performance in the prevention of conflict. However, 10 years on from the adoption of the landmark resolution 1625 (2005), the Council continues to shy away from putting conflict prevention into practice, including in relation to the Great Lakes region. My delegation recalls the sense of optimism that greeted the establishment in 2002 of the Council's Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa.”
2016-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7653 (2016) · source
“In Burundi, we have watched as many of the gains of the past decade, in terms of development and national reconciliation, have crumbled away in a matter of months, while the President of the country and those around him have prioritized their personal ambitions over the good of Burundi, its people and the collective national commitment to reconciliation reflected in the Arusha Accords. Regional engagement and a focus on confidence- building measures are essential for achieving long- term and sustainable solutions. We therefore welcome the United Nations Great Lakes Regional Strategic Framework, which requires a consistent approach to implementation and active follow-up by the countries of the region. We also welcome the Great Lakes plan was just presented by the Secretary-General.”
2016-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7653 (2016) · source
“As she also noted, however, political developments and human rights have not kept pace and undue weight has been given to the cult of personality, to the detriment of the long-term future of those countries. Furthermore, we cannot honestly claim to be even close to achieving sustainable peace. In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, many of the same militias that played a central role in the previous conflicts continue to operate, largely with impunity, and the potential for violence around the upcoming elections poses serious risks to national and regional stability.”
2016-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7653 (2016) · source
“For much of that period, the positions of the international community were characterized by missed opportunities and an inability or unwillingness to act. Africa's institutions have also struggled. Today we are still working through the consequences of those failures. And the costs in terms of lives lost, women and children traumatized, infrastructure shattered and development foregone continue to rise. We must acknowledge that much work has been done by the African Union, regional organizations and players, the United Nations, the World Bank and intergovernmental and non-governmental actors. There have been bright spots. As the United States Ambassador pointed out, there have been impressive economic gains - in Rwanda in particular, but also in Uganda.”
2016-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7653 (2016) · source
“I thank the delegation of Angola for organizing this open debate on one of the regions of Africa that has taken up a very large part of the Security Council's time over the past two decades. I also want to thank the briefers, especially Special Envoy Djinnit, Mr. Chergui, and Mr. Pillai of the World Bank, for their helpful briefings on the contributions of their institutions to the ongoing efforts in the Great Lakes region. In the past two decades, the Great Lakes have witnessed some of the most brutal and devastating conflicts since the Second World War. The genocide in Rwanda in 1994 set in motion events that resulted in three major African wars and the deaths of a further 5 million people in the years that followed.”
2016-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7653 (2016) · source
“No side will get everything it wants, and that includes the Syrian Government, the opposition and regional and international supporters. Any viable solution will be imperfect. Any political solution will require compromise. We stand ready to support Mr. De Mistura in his efforts to resume the negotiations in Geneva, and we encourage the Council to do all it can to assist him.”
2016-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7634 (2016) · source
“All those involved in the conflict have a responsibility to bring about and sustain conditions that are conducive to constructive negotiations. The full implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions, including the one we have adopted today, remains critical. That will require a genuine commitment in the coming days and weeks to ceasing hostilities, in accordance with the terms ofthe agreement the Council has endorsed today. It also means urgently allowing full, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian aid to those who need it. That must include urgently needed medical assistance. We hope we will also see the release of detainees, particularly women, children and the elderly. Now is when the rubber meets the road, when there must be hard decisions on difficult issues. Now is not the time for political red lines.”
2016-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7634 (2016) · source
“We hope that the cessation of hostilities agreement will be remembered in history as the beginning of the end of mass violence in Syria. We were pleased, therefore, to hear from Mr. De Mistura that will inter-Syrian talks will resume on 7 March and that that process will be an inclusive one. We think it right that the Council has today sent a message to the Syrian parties that they must participate in those negotiations on a political transition, and that they must engage in those negotiations in good faith. We have sympathy for those who promote confidence-building measures to build the strength of the platform upon which these negotiations must take place. At the same time, the parties should not insist on preconditions designed to scuttle negotiations before they begin.”
2016-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7634 (2016) · source
“We recognize that the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, the Al-Nusra Front and other Security Council-designated terrorist organizations must continue, but that will inevitably open the risk that the wrong targets may be struck, be it deliberately or inadvertently. That in turn could trigger an unravelling of the cessation of hostilities and a return to widespread conflict. All those who subscribe to this agreement must act with extra caution to prevent such an outcome, and in particular to avoid military activity against non-designated groups, civilians and civilian infrastructure. Today's resolution affirms the close linkage between a lasting ceasefire and a parallel political process.”
2016-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7634 (2016) · source
“That has been deeply disturbing and disappointing. At last, we have an agreement around a cessation of hostilities, which is due to take effect in the coming hours. We welcome that agreement, and were pleased to vote today in support of resolution 2268 (2016), endorsing it. If the cessation of hostilities holds it will be the first time in five years that there has been an agreed pause in the fighting in this bloody civil war. The cessation of hostilities is an important step towards a lasting ceasefire. It gives hope for a reduction in the horrific violence and humanitarian suffering in Syria. If it is to serve a meaningful purpose, parties to the conflict and relevant International Syria Support Group members must demonstrate a sustained commitment to making it work in practice.”
2016-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7634 (2016) · source
“We too thank Mr. Staffan de Mistura for his briefing, and we commend him for his determination and optimism in carrying forward a very difficult process. We also commend the United States of America and Russia for steering through the cessation of hostilities, which should have taken effect a few minutes ago. The backdrop to today's discussions is five years of devastation and failure in Syria. Late last year, the Syrian parties were about as far apart as they have ever been. There have been moments of promise, in particular the adoption of resolution 2254 (2015), and subsequent agreements by the International Syria Support Group. Sadly, after each of those moments of promise, we have seen an escalation of fighting as the Syrian Government and its supporters have tried to leverage the situation to their advantage.”
2016-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7634 (2016) · source
“Over a number of months, we have been among others that have suggested that it is important that the Council show its close engagement with that country. Let me conclude by commending, you, Rafael, and your team. Not only have you been very busy, but extremely gracious in the way you have cajoled us along the course of the difficult work we have all been engaged in. I think you have shown great dignity and professionalism, so I thank you for that. And I wish Angola all the best for next month.”
2016-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7633 (2016) · source
“In the meantime, we are relieved that humanitarian access now seems to be on a sounder footing, and we would hope that the populations in the besieged towns will no longer feel that they are being held to ransom as part of the political struggle that is going on in that country. We also want to thank the Council members for the strong support given to our suggestion that the Council consider a product on the humanitarian situation in Yemen. We think that is an issue that needs looking into next month, and we look forward to working with other Council members on that idea. Lastly, I welcome the fact that we have been able to agree on the trip to West Africa, in particular to visit Guinea-Bissau.”
2016-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7633 (2016) · source
“We have been waiting for a product on that for two months. It is to be acknowledged that the working methods through which that product has emerged does not square with our normal preference, but we recognize that it is an unusual situation. We want to pay tribute to the United States of America and China for the very important work they have done. It is a very important draft resolution. It is different. It sends the important signal that we want to be sending, and so we too are among those who would like it adopted as soon as possible. On Syria, we can be pleased - perhaps the better word is "relieved" - that some positive progress has been made at long last. The adoption of the cessation of hostilities now provides some hope that a proper peace process can be put in place and that finally peace can be achieved in that country.”
2016-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7633 (2016) · source
“Turning to the programme of work for February - which, as others have noted, has been a very busy month, one best exemplified by yesterday's marathon effort under "Any other business" - we are a strong supporter of the use of that item as a means of addressing important questions. However, I believe there comes a point when we need to pause and contemplate as how many isues we can cope with in the course of a single meeting. With regard to working methods more generally, I want to pay tribute to what Matthew Rycroft said in his statement. I agreed with all he said about the way we need to structure our work and how we can do better in working together. As others have also said, one of the most important questions we have touched on this month was yesterday's discussion on sanctions against the Democratic People Republic of Korea.”
2016-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7633 (2016) · source
“On that point, I would note that the threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is one of the most dangerous situations we deal with in this organ. It is very important that the Council's consideration of that issue be informed by the work of the Security Council Committee concerning ISIL and Al-Qaida. Therefore, I would encourage everybody who takes part in our subsidiary bodies, whether they be experts or the Ambassadors who chair them - and I would encourage other Ambassadors to participate in the proceedings occasionally, especially the Permanent Members who do not have the privilege of chairing those bodies - to carry forward the spirit of the note we agreed upon in our day-to-day work. We do not need a large overhaul of the system to ensure that our work is effective, but we need to display some common sense.”
2016-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7633 (2016) · source
“We need to work smarter and focus our efforts on discharging our core responsibilities. For our part, New Zealand will continue to strive for a behavioural change in the way subsidiary bodies operate. Focusing on outcomes over adherence to formalistic process would give our work greater meaning. There are two initiatives in particular that we will look to take forward. The first is to establish a transparent and inclusive process for the appointment of the Chairs of subsidiary bodies. The second one, which I find is particularly relevant to the work to the two Committees that I chair, is to achieve greater coordination between the subsidiary bodies and the wider Council agenda.”
2016-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7633 (2016) · source
“1, too, want to congratulate Venezuela for a very productive and busy month. I will come back to that in a minute. I want to talk a little about working methods and a little bit about some of the key issues that we have dealt with this month. On working methods specifically, I want to thank Venezuela for its initiative in convening the discussion on the working methods of the subsidary bodies of the Security Council (see S/PV.7620). We found that to be one of the more interesting discussions we have had in this Chamber. 1 am sure - in fact, I know from the feedback I have received from other members of the General Assembly - that they also found that exercise to be very useful. What is clear from the debate and the note we have now agreed on (S/2016/170) is that there is room for improvement.”
2016-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7633 (2016) · source
“The Advisory Group has outlined a range of recommendations to address this, including more integrated strategic planning, more accountable senior leadership and stronger peacebuilding expertise in critical areas. We encourage the Secretary-General to take these forward. Let me conclude by commending the efforts of Australia and Angola as co-facilitators of the intergovernmental consultations on the 2015 review of the United Nations peacebuilding architecture. We look forward to considering a Security Council resolution in response to the review in the near future. In the coming year, important decisions are expected with regard to the transitions in Liberia, Haiti and cote d'Ivoire that will strongly influence the prospects for sustaining the hard-fought peacebuilding gains in those countries.”
2016-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7629 (2016) · source
“United Nations country teams have a central role to play in this regard, particularly during peace operation transitions, when coordination with longer-term development partners is critical for ensuring that peacebuilding gains are sustained beyond the life ofthe mission. We support the Advisory Group's recommendation to strengthen the offices of the Resident Coordinators during such transitions, even on a temporary basis, to assist with taking forward and reallocating the peacebuilding tasks of departing missions. Fourthly, as others have also emphasized, the fragmentation of peacebuilding efforts across the United Nations system needs to be addressed. Competing mandates, funding sources and accountabilities can pose enormous challenges for achieving and sustaining unity of vision and effort across different United Nations entities.”
2016-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7629 (2016) · source
“We still have some way to go to consistently achieve national ownership in practice. We support the recommendation of the Advisory Group to use mechanisms such as peacebuilding compacts to foster improved understanding and more meaningful ownership of programmes by national stakeholders. New Zealand has seen such agreements benefit regional peacebuilding missions in our own region. Equally important is the need for better coordination with other peacebuilding actors - including United Nations agencies, international financial institutions, non-governmental organizations and bilateral donors -to promote coherence in international assistance.”
2016-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7629 (2016) · source
“We have been pleased to see positive examples, such as the briefing by the Chair of the Guinea-Bissau country-specific configuration during our discussions on the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS) last week (see S/PV.7624). We strongly support his involvement in the Council mission to Guinea-Bissau next week. We want to see greater engagement between the Council and the Peacebuilding Commission. Additionally, the Council could benefit from the Commission's advice on issues such as designing meaningful benchmarks to measure the completion of peacebuilding mandates. Thirdly, as all of the briefers emphasized, the Council needs to better recognize the essential role of partnerships in achieving and sustaining peacebuilding gains, particularly in regard to institutional capacity- building.”
2016-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7629 (2016) · source
“While the Council is not best- placed to provide overall leadership of United Nations peacebuilding efforts, it plays a critical role in mandating early peacebuilding tasks and mobilizing the necessary resources in many immediate post-conflict settings. Secondly, there needs to be more consistent and meaningful engagement between the Council and the Peacebuilding Commission. New Zealand has been one ofmany countries to call for that since the Commission's establishment, in 2005. It should not be a question of powers or prerogatives; both the Commission and the Council benefit by sharing their knowledge and expertise. Making doctrinal distinctions between the two bodies' respective competencies is a barrier to the integrated, joined-up approach that should be our aim and should be the norm.”
2016-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7629 (2016) · source
“We also better acknowledge now the central importance of national ownership to the long-term success of peacebuilding efforts. At the same time, we have learned a great deal about what not to do, and have identified areas where we need to do better. Today I will highlight four areas where New Zealand believes that we, as the Council, need to improve our collective performance. First, we support the call by the Advisory Group of Experts for the Council to play a more active role in peacebuilding. In our View, the Council must focus on key areas of comparative advantage and integrate peacebuilding objectives into mission planning from the earliest stages.”
2016-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7629 (2016) · source
“We thank the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for convening this meeting and thank the briefers - Ambassadors Kamau, Skoog and Rosenthal. In the past two decades, our understanding of what makes for effective peacebuilding has grown markedly. It is now accepted that effective political transitions and national reconciliation processes, the reform and strengthening of security and rule of law institutions and the creation of employment and economic opportunities can all be critical for sustaining peace. Similarly, as Ambassador Rosenthal again reminded us, and notwithstanding our post-conflict focus in the title of the agenda item, peacebuilding is now recognized as something that underlies every step in the conflict cycle, not only as something that follows at the end of conflict resolution and peacekeeping activities.”
2016-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7629 (2016) · source
“That is why we want to work with all Council members and other interested Members of the Organization in making a genuine collective effort focused on solving the problems that the Council is tasked with confronting.”
2016-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7621 (2016) · source
“We need to be more honest in assessing their effective implementation and determining our response where they have been defied or neglected, or have proved ineffective or mistaken. This is as true of peacekeeping mandates and sanctions measures as it is of International Criminal Court referrals or the obligations imposed by the Council on parties to a conflict. To conclude, we cannot afford to lose sight of the Council's core purpose and its obligation to the international community and to the millions of human beings whose lives are being distorted by conflict. The wider United Nations membership wants to see the Council delivering better on its primary mandate of maintaining international peace and security, and New Zealand does too.”
2016-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7621 (2016) · source
“There needs to be more scope for all 15 Council members to make a substantive contribution and for this to be regarded as a normal and natural way of operating. Fifthly, the Council must be more consistent in supporting compliance with the international rules to which we have all committed ourselves. The Charter of the United Nations places the Council at the centre of a rules-based international order. It must respond decisively in instances where such rules are undermined and flouted, such as the recent nuclear test and ballistic-missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or of gross and systematic abuses of international humanitarian law. It is particularly important in this regard for the Council to follow through on its own decisions.”
2016-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7621 (2016) · source
“We will also continue to advance our specific proposals regarding enhanced engagement with troop contributors and other key stakeholders in the mandate process and enabling more responsible monitoring and management of risk and performance through enhanced situational awareness. As I noted during last Thursday's debate on the sanctions committees (see S/PV.7620), we can also improve the effectiveness of sanctions measures by improving the functioning of our subsidiary bodies. This means more timely and informed decision-making; clear strategic direction; and flexibility to respond to changing circumstances. Fourthly, we need to encourage a greater culture of collective decision-making or burden-sharing. The Council continues to hamper its work by unnecessary and outdated procedural constraints and rigidities.”
2016-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7621 (2016) · source