YouSaid · the spoken record

Vaz Patto

lines on the record
21
first
2012-02-22
most recent
2013-02-12
sittings or episodes
3
sources
un-security-council

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  1. “When the Council has had at its disposal the tools necessary to protect civilians under attack and has received sufficient, credible and timely information regarding situations of concern, it has found the political will to take effective action in many dire situations. But not always. Either through preventive diplomacy aimed at influencing the parties to conflict to comply with international law, or by acting under Chapter VII of the Charter, it is fundamental for the Security Council's credibility that it act consistently and with resolve to protect all civilians - women, men and children - whether directly targeted or accidental victims of conflicts.”

    2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917Resumption1 (2013) · source

  2. “The Council has certainly benefited from the work of the commissions, which will, it is to be hoped, not only contribute to enhancing accountability but also help to promote peaceful and durable solutions to existing crises. There is no question that the international community, as a whole, and the Security Council, in particular, is dealing with a growing responsibility to protect civilians, especially women and children, in the context of armed conflicts. Here I would like to recall the concept of responsibility while protecting put forward by Brazil in November 2011 (see S/PV.6650), which merits thorough consideration in the context of the responsibility to protect, specifically of how to improve its implementation when the use of force is authorized by the Security Council.”

    2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917Resumption1 (2013) · source

  3. “Countering impunity, whether through national institutions or the International Criminal Court (ICC), does indeed have a deterrent effect at the domestic, regional and international level, and is a fundamental tool for preventing further violations. In that regard, Portugal would once again like to stress the important role ofthe ICC in fighting impunity for the most serious crimes. We would also like to highlight the crucial role that the Human Rights Council is playing in the fight against impunity; the international commissions of inquiry on Cote d'Ivoire, Libya and Syria have investigated human rights violations, established the facts and circumstances of those violations and have made recommendations on accountability measures.”

    2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917Resumption1 (2013) · source

  4. “The role ofthe Council in this area has been central to progress, since it has established significant precedents by requesting that fact-finding mechanisms be created to investigate alleged violation and that reparations be provided for victims, and by promoting individual criminal responsibility. At a workshop that Portugal organized with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in November 2011, this practice of the Council aimed at ensuring accountability for violations of international humanitarian and human rights law was reviewed. Some interesting ideas on promoting consistency and avoiding the perception of selectivity in the Council's actions were put forward and would, in our view, merit further discussion.”

    2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917Resumption1 (2013) · source

  5. “Furthermore, the prevention of conflict is always the most effective way to protect civilians, and the Council can use very efficiently its existing tools, including presidential statements, resolutions, briefings and consultations, to convey robust political messages when the situation demands it or the protection of civilians is at stake. It can also be proactive, and develop new tools to increase its role in the protection of civilians by addressing more situations of concern. The work of the Security Council in promoting accountability for violations of humanitarian and human rights law represents another important aspect ofits efforts to protect civilians.”

    2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917Resumption1 (2013) · source

  6. “Eight peacekeeping missions on three continents are endowed with strong protection mandates; we welcome the consistent baseline guidance and predeployment and in-mission training being developed by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to enhance the understanding - and improve the implementation - of the concept of protection of civilians. Local strategies and improved engagement with communities have been devised, and all of those tools have had a significant impact on enhancing the protection of civilian populations. But more can and should be done regarding the prevention of conflicts. Peacekeeping missions are a remarkable tool but a limited one that cannot be multiplied ad infinitum.”

    2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917Resumption1 (2013) · source

  7. “It is clear that in today's world, when civilians are under threat, the United Nations and the Security Council in particular must respond promptly. It is therefore even more frustrating that, in the case of Syria, the Council has not responded to the expectations of the international community and to the hopes of civilians on the ground. Learning from past situations such as those in Rwanda and Srebrenica, the Security Council has developed a normative framework and concrete instruments to conduct its action in this area in an effective and accountable manner. Resolution 1894 (2009) provides a solid normative framework for United Nations peacekeeping operations to protect civilians.”

    2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917Resumption1 (2013) · source

  8. “Too often, men, women and children are not spared the effects of hostilities and are still frequently deliberately targeted by various parties. Despite international efforts, sexual violence continues to be used as a tactic of war, and the recruitment and use ofchildren in armed conflicts are still a reality in several countries. Such flagrant violations of human rights and international humanitarian law fuel further instability, violence and conflict. Attacks against civilians are unacceptable wherever they take place - in Syria, in Mali, in Somalia, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or in the areas affected by the Lord's Resistance Army - and should be vigorously condemned, as they were condemned in the past, in Libya or in C6te d'Ivoire.”

    2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917Resumption1 (2013) · source

  9. “I would like to begin by thanking the Secretary-General, the High Commissioner for Human Rights and Mr. Spoerri for their respective briefings. I also wish to thank you, Mr. President, for having convened this important open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, an issue to which Portugal attaches great importance. We welcome the presidential statement (S/PRST/2013/2) that was adopted earlier today and in particular the establishment of systematic reporting on this issue every 18 months. Portugal, naturally, shares the views that will be expressed by the European Union later on, but let me underline some aspects of particular significance to my country. As emphasized today by our briefers, civilians have in recent months continued to represent the majority of the victims of conflicts.”

    2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917Resumption1 (2013) · source

  10. “Portugal seconds the Secretary-General's appeal and reiterates its long-standing commitment to a diplomatic solution of the Iranian nuclear issue in accordance with the dual- track strategy, bearing in mind that the Agency must address fully the international community's concerns about the nature of the nuclear programme in Iran.”

    2012-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6839 (2012) · source

  11. “It is a matter of special concern that activities at the Parchin site, as referred to in the most recent report of the IAEA Director General, are not under effective verification and monitoring by the Agency. Iran is not providing the necessary cooperation to enable the Agency to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities, and therefore to conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is for peaceful purposes. Last month during in a visit to Tehran, Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon emphasized the need for engagement and diplomacy in resolving the country's nuclear issue. He called on Iran to cooperate with the IAEA to rebuild international confidence in the peaceful nature of its nuclear activities.”

    2012-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6839 (2012) · source

  12. “We believe that the sanctions regime plays a very important role in fostering the resumption of serious and credible talks, as well as a meaningful level of cooperation between the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran in order to clarify outstanding issues and to draw a conclusion on the nature of the Iranian nuclear programme. It is clear, however, that these efforts are still insufficient. Despite the intensified dialogue between the Agency and Iran since January 2012, no concrete results have been achieved so far. Iran has yet to show a willingness to fully comply with the resolutions of the Security Council and the IAEA Board of Governors by suspending all enrichment-related and repossessing activities and heavy water related projects, and by granting unrestricted access to the IAEA in all its nuclear sites.”

    2012-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6839 (2012) · source

  13. “I thank Ambassador Ne'stor Osorio for the 90-day report on the activities of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006). I reiterate my delegation's full support for the challenging work that is being accomplished under his able leadership. I also congratulate the Panel of Experts on its reappointment by the Secretary-General and thank the experts for their valuable assistance. We commend the work of the Committee, which has contributed decisively in slowing down Iran's capability to advance its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.”

    2012-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6839 (2012) · source

  14. “We look forward to the next opportunity to discuss these issues and trust that implementation of the recommendations in the Secretary-General's report, together with the contribution of the international community and the Security Council, will make a positive and definitive impact in the fight against impunity for acts of piracy in the region.”

    2012-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6719 (2012) · source

  15. “In this sense, we encourage further efforts by the United Nations to assist Somalia to adopt the necessary anti-piracy legislation and to establish the necessary judiciary structures, with participation of international assistance and relevant expertise, as necessary. Extraterritorial Somali courts, as suggested in Mr. Lang's report, could also be useful tools, in our view, to be used as a transitory measure while the necessary security conditions on the ground are not yet met. That is particularly important with regard to the detention and trial of piracy leaders as a vital approach to disrupt the organized networks that support piracy.”

    2012-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6719 (2012) · source

  16. “In our view, no solution can be sustained unless Somalia, as a whole, is able to cope with this problem, with appropriate Somali law and with Somali courts and judiciary - in all, a Somali solution to a problem that has its roots in Somalia. The important report by Mr. Jack Lang (S/2011/30, annex) already pointed clearly to that reality. We cannot avoid it, and the international community has to address it comprehensively by helping build the needed capacity in Somalia, helping it to regain economic and social development and security levels that may enable it to overcome the present difficult situation and avoid becoming an increasingly easy target and prey of organized crime and terrorism networks.”

    2012-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6719 (2012) · source

  17. “It is an undeniable fact: the dimension of the problem requires an ensemble of measures and efforts by many actors. We encourage those that can be undertaken by the countries in the region, such as Seychelles, Kenya, Tanzania and Mauritius, to help in this regard, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme and UNODC. Therefore, we support the recommendations in the report that aim at increasing programmes of assistance and capacity- building in these countries and regions, to help them to fight impunity for acts of piracy. We find, however, that more has to be done to involve Somalia in all those efforts.”

    2012-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6719 (2012) · source

  18. “This is why we continue to encourage the Council not to disregard its preventive role in closely monitoring such situations. Last November, under our presidency of the Council, we organized a meeting on new challenges to peace and security (see S/PV.6668), having in mind precisely the importance of the Council closely following these and other potential threats from the perspective of prevention. We are therefore very pleased with the fact that the report dedicates a significant part of its focus and recommendations to the need to strengthen the legal and judiciary capacity in the neighbouring countries and the regions of Somalia, including, in particular, Puntland and Somaliland. We fully support those efforts, and we think that reinforcing those capacities has now become part and parcel of the overall solution to piracy in the region.”

    2012-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6719 (2012) · source

  19. “Moreover, the phenomenon continues to spread like an epidemic to other countries in the region, which must now also resort to prompt, appropriate measures to fight this scourge if they want to avoid becoming themselves easy prey of the strong networks of pirates with known links to other types of transnational organized crime through financing of criminal activities, including terrorism. The complexity of these activities and the way they may interlink and potentiate dangerous transnational effects make it advisable that the international community remain vigilant and prepared to act whenever the situation so requires. There is indeed a role for the Security Council in monitoring these new threats, which have the potential to seriously endanger peace and security.”

    2012-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6719 (2012) · source

  20. “The phenomenon of piracy off the coast of Somalia has its roots in Somalia. It feeds on lawlessness and overall impunity and benefits from conditions on the ground that are deficient for fighting this scourge through Somali institutions, an efficient judiciary and an appropriate system for the rule of law. The dimension of the problem is such that it transcends the territory of Somalia. It spills over its borders, with a serious negative impact on the neighbouring countries, on the region and on the commercial flux of international navigation that runs through the region.”

    2012-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6719 (2012) · source

  21. “Mr. Vaz Patto (Portugal) (spoke in French): Mr. President, I welcome your presence among us today. (spoke in English) I would like to start by thanking the presidency of Togo for having organized this briefing and the Legal Counsel, Ms. Patricia O'Brien, for her very comprehensive presentation of the Secretary-General's report (S/20l2/50). I also wish to thank the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Ambassador Yuri Fedotov, for his participation in this briefing, bearing in mind the important role UNODC is called to play in helping build a solution to the problem of piracy off the coast of Somalia. The report of the Secretary-General is both comprehensive and action-oriented. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Secretariat and the Office of Legal Affairs for the good work done.”

    2012-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6719 (2012) · source