YouSaid · the spoken record

Wenaweser

lines on the record: 709
first: 2002-07-25
most recent: 2023-12-07
sittings or episodes: 107
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

“The case of Syria in particular illustrates on a daily basis the continued paralysis and dysfunctional nature of the Council in the face of a situation that is destabilizing an entire region and that is characterized by the systematic commission of mass atrocities by the parties to the conflict. Therefore, the code of conduct on mass atrocities formulated by the ACT group, and mentioned frequently in today's debate, provides a sign of hope. It has been supported by 112 States. We call on the rest of the membership to support that important political commitment, and we look forward to discussing its implementation with Council members and the relevant entities in the Secretariat.”
2016-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7740 (2016) · source
“In particular, we would like to encourage an open process in the appointment of the Chairs of subsidiary bodies - a change that, in our view, would be a long-awaited improvement. We also believe that the most meaningful change that the Council can make would be in the way that it handles some of its biggest tasks, in which the entire membership has a direct stake. I would like to highlight three of those key challenges. First, the Council's reputation has been undermined by its inability to prevent and effectively respond to mass atrocities. The failures in Srebrenica and Rwanda are permanent stains on the Council's record. In spite of all the calls of "never again", little has happened in practice.”
2016-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7740 (2016) · source
“In addition to the points reflected in the statement delivered earlier today on behalf of the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency (ACT) Group, of which we are a member, we would like to contribute the following brief points on the working methods of the Security Council. We value the efforts made by the Council over the past few years, as reflected in presidential note S/2010/507 and the update thereof (S/20l6/6l9). Taken together, those measures have led to real improvements by creating more transparency and accountability in the Council's work; however, their implementation often remains inconsistent. Technical and practical improvements are important. We will continue working with others to propose meaningful changes to the Council in order to further improve its performance.”
2016-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7740 (2016) · source
“Various factors such as poverty, displacement, and discrimination on ethnic and other grounds make a large number of individuals vulnerable to a crime that was among the first to be outlawed under international law. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (ge resolution 70/1) gives the necessary prominence to this topic and therefore offers an opportunity to finally eliminate this atrocity, in times of armed conflict and otherwise.”
2016-06-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7704 (2016) · source
“The ICC could therefore play a catalytic role in prosecuting these crimes, while illustrating the truly global nature of its work. This great potential will be further explored at a side event on the topic of modern slavery and the role of international criminal justice, which we will host on 10 June in the presence of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. I hope to see many participants in this meeting at that event. In conclusion, the Council's effort to tackle human trafficking and modern slavery in situations of armed conflict must be closely connected to our broader efforts in this regard, as these crimes are committed on a very large scale as part of transnational organized crime and, in most cases, not related to armed conflict.”
2016-06-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7704 (2016) · source
“But in spite ofthejus cogens prohibition against slavery - one of the most norms under international law - there is very widespread impunity for this crime, which is committed as a part of the conduct of war, as well as of organized crime. Tackling this culture of impunity is but one element of the effort to eliminate modern slavery, but an element that is urgently needed. Investigations and prosecutions can be complex, as the relevant acts are often committed in several jurisdictions. And where national jurisdictions fail to play their role, international criminal justice has to step in. Under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), enslavement can constitute a crime against humanity and sexual slavery a war crime.”
2016-06-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7704 (2016) · source
“Likewise, we see much potential in monitoring financial flows generated by human trafficking, which is not only one of the most serious crimes under international law, but also one of the most lucrative organized crime models. We are working with United Nations University and other partners on these two questions, and hope that the findings of an event that we will be organizing in late June can be incorporated into the Secretary-General's report for the follow-up discussion in the Council in December. We should enable the Council to take concrete next steps in the fight against trafficking and modern slavery. Tens of millions of people around the globe live in conditions that qualify as modern slavery. This crime takes on various forms, including sexual enslavement, almost invariably involving women and girls.”
2016-06-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7704 (2016) · source
“Presidential statement S/PRST/2015/25, adopted in December last year, underscores the importance of international law enforcement cooperation, including with respect to investigation and prosecution. The questions you have raised in your concept note (S/2016/496, annex) are a logical continuation of the first-ever presidential statement the Council has adopted on this issue. We appreciate in particular the suggestions for concrete action by the Council in the context of its country- specific work. Sanctions against individuals and entities involved in trafficking are an important policy option that should be examined carefully.”
2016-06-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7704 (2016) · source
“In March this year, the International Criminal Court found Jean-Pierre Bemba criminally responsible for rape committed by his subordinates both as a war crime and as a crime against humanity, in accordance with the principle of command responsibility. These verdicts were significant steps forward in the criminalization of sexual violence. They send a clear message that there is no impunity for sexual violence as a tool of war. We commend the Prosecutor of the ICC for including charges related to sexual and gender-based crimes in many of her ongoing cases and for prioritizing these crimes, as reflected in her policy paper. Mr. President, you have asked today to also focus on the issue of human trafficking.”
2016-06-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7704 (2016) · source
“The upcoming commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict give us a good opportunity to ask ourselves where we stand in our fight to eliminate such violence what tools are at our disposal. What we heard this morning from the briefers certainly makes it clear that we have a very long way to go. Accountability is a key tool of our joint effort. International criminal justice mechanisms have significantly advanced the fight against impunity for sexual violence. In 1998, the International Criminal Tribunal (ICC) for Rwanda broke new ground when it found in the Akayesu case that sexual assault constituted an act of genocide.”
2016-06-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7704 (2016) · source
“But since the Nuremberg trials, which took place 70 years ago, no international court has been able to hold individuals accountable for committing what has been called the supreme international crime - the crime of aggression. That will change in 2017 when the International Criminal Court's jurisdiction over the crime of aggression is activated. Twenty-six States have already ratified the Kampala Amendments to the Rome Statute on the crime of aggression. We encourage others to do the same, as the Amendments simply complement the prohibition of the illegal use of force, one of the key principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The effective criminalization of the illegal use of force will also be an additional tool available to the Council to effectively prevent armed conflict.”
2016-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7621 (2016) · source
“At a time when differences among permanent members are growing, elected members' engagement and mediation efforts can help overcome political differences in the Council, promote compromise, improve transparency and foster the political will to take effective action. Finally, complementary to a decisive Security Council, the International Criminal Court is central in holding accountable those who manifestly violate the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Among its very first purposes is "the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace. When a State wishes to suppress a behaviour, it can subject individuals to criminal penalties for that behaviour - that goes without saying.”
2016-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7621 (2016) · source
“We also encourage all other States Members of the United Nations, especially Council members and those aspiring to become members, to join this initiative. In that respect, we want to address the elected members of this Council. The elected members ran long campaigns and exerted great efforts to sit at this table. We are convinced that a way to a more decisive Council is through their taking greater ownership of the Council's work. We are pleased to see that in recent years elected members have been more proactive and eager to make a difference. They have our full support in that endeavour.”
2016-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7621 (2016) · source
“The code of conduct regarding Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes is an expression of commitment that, when faced with such situations, Council member will get their priorities straight. It is a commitment that they will actively pursue appropriate Council action aimed at preventing or ending mass atrocity crimes, and that they will not stand in the way of credible attempts to do so. One hundred and ten Member States of the Organization, including the majority of the members of the Council, have signed on to the code. We welcome that commitment. We expect the code to be applied in practice, including on the basis of information provided by the Secretary-General.”
2016-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7621 (2016) · source
“The vicious cycle of death and destruction in that country serves as one of the most striking examples of the dramatic erosion of respect for international humanitarian law. And it is human suffering that serves as a catalyst for ever greater threats to international peace and security, fostering radicalization, paving the way for terrorist groups, motivating foreign fighters and causing violence to spread far beyond the territory of Syria. We must ask ourselves: Would a decisive Security Council, placing the rights of human beings at the centre of its action, not have done more to end this man-made catastrophe? Membership in the Council is a privilege that entails the responsibility to take action when confronted with mass atrocity crimes.”
2016-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7621 (2016) · source
“In so doing, the Security Council must place the people at the centre of its action, thereby reaffirming in the words of the Preamble of the Charter, "faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small". Certainly, as this and other debates have illustrated, the Council can and must do a better job at upholding this responsibility. Today's conflicts are marked by widespread violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. Many parties to conflict openly disrespect human dignity and the most fundamental rules of international humanitarian law, as evidenced in the recent attack on the Medecins Sans Frontieres facilities in Syria.”
2016-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7621 (2016) · source
“The purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations represent the core values of the Organization. As such, they have stood the test of time, as evidenced both by the successes and the failures of the United Nations over the past seven decades. When interpreted holistically and in good faith, they enable the international community to respond effectively to the ever-changing challenges to our international system. They also serve as the primary benchmark for the Security Council as the guardian of international peace and security. In essence, this calls for an active, decisive Security Council, taking action when the circumstances so demand.”
2016-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7621 (2016) · source
“We therefore urge all States Members of the United Nations that have not yet done so to join the code of conduct within the next few days, so that they can be reflected in the original list of supporters. The code of conduct is an important and serious political commitment for any State that serves on the Council. It also represents a minimum standard that we expect any Council member to live up to, as they are called upon to collectively exercise the primary responsibility for international peace and security on our behalf. We are confident that the code-of-conduct initiative can bring about an essential change in the decision-making of the Council.”
2015-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7539Resumption1 (2015) · source
“As part of that general commitment, they also pledge more specifically not to vote against a credible draft resolution submitted to that end. Eighty-three States from all regions of the world have already signed on to the code of conduct. That includes seven members of the current Council and three of the five States that were just elected to serve on it starting in 2016. That is an impressive number, and we are confident that many more States are to follow. The code of conduct will be launched this Friday, 23 October, by our Foreign Minister at an event open to everybody. The more States that join the initiative by Friday, the stronger the call for change in the way the Council addresses atrocity crimes will be.”
2015-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7539Resumption1 (2015) · source
“Such well-known examples illustrate the human and political cost of inaction, but there are many others, including situations that never even made it on to the Council's agenda. It is for that reason that our group has come together to prepare a code of conduct for States regarding Security Council action against atrocity crimes. We have done so in a process of detailed consultation with States, the Secretariat and civil society. The product is a text that reflects the political commitment of States and that, over time, will help us create a culture of political accountability, which is needed to make the Council more effective and legitimate. By committing to the code, States pledge that, while serving as members of the Council, they will support timely and decisive action by the Council to prevent or end atrocity crimes.”
2015-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7539Resumption1 (2015) · source
“Liechtenstein is a member of the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency group and aligns itself with the statement delivered by the representative of Switzerland on behalf of the group. We have been leading the Group's efforts to make the Security Council more effective in preventing or ending atrocity crimes. It is on that subject that I wish to make the following brief remarks. The people of the world expect the Council to protect them from genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes - the worst crimes under international law. Too often, the Council has failed to live up to those expectations, such as in Rwanda and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1990s and in Syria and other places as we speak.”
2015-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7539Resumption1 (2015) · source
“In conclusion, I would like to draw the Council's attention to the Safe Schools Declaration, which endorses the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict. We welcome that elaboration on existing international humanitarian law and call upon others to join those of us that have already endorsed the Guidelines at the recently held safe schools conference in Oslo.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“We therefore look forward with great interest at so-called soft-handed approaches based on the assumption that poverty, discrimination, lack of socialization and the absence of effective integration are often at the root of radicalization. Instead of an exclusive focus on criminalization, those strategies make use of psychosocial counselling and help returnees findjobs or education opportunities. We do not claim to know that one approach works better than another, but we certainly see value in exploring a stronger focus on reintegration. What seems to be clear is that a comprehensive response is needed that covers prevention, psycho-social support and integration assistance to complement necessary legal measures and action.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“It is therefore important to support organizations that assist non-State actors in their efforts to achieve delisting. We as Governments can further facilitate such processes through the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, which creates the necessary framework for engagement. Finally, I would like to briefly touch upon the issue of underage foreign terrorist fighters. We are obviously struggling to find a response to this complex phenomenon. Our knowledge of the root causes, motivation and recruitment policies and processes is still limited. We must not forget in this discussion that we are talking about children, whose judgment and resulting behaviour is that of legal minors.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“The vast majority of parties listed are non-State actors, with whom it can be difficult to engage. The International Committee of the Red Cross and certain non-governmental organizations, such as Geneva Call, are uniquely positioned in that regard, and their experience should inform the Council's work in this area. Some parties to conflicts seem to have made clear commitments to engage, are eager to cooperate and have signed so called deeds of commitment to stop violations against children. Nevertheless, not a single non-State actor/entity has been able to qualify for delisting so far, due, inter alia, to a lack of knowledge and assistance throughout the process. This has caused frustration and is also a missed opportunity to motivate other non-State actors to cooperate with a view to delisting.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“The challenges in ensuring accountability for sexual exploitation and abuse have been discussed for many years, but with few tangible results. There is a persistent danger that the important work of so many could be publicly discredited owing to the unethical and criminal acts committed with impunity by a few. Troop-contributing countries have to ensure speedy domestic investigations and prosecutions for violations committed by their nationals. Otherwise, the United Nations role and its crucial function in the area of peacekeeping will be compromised. Secondly, the list of perpetrators in the annexes to the Secretary-General's reports can be a very powerful tool to influence the behaviour of parties to a conflict. However, for this to be the case, the listing and delisting process needs to be fair, consistent and transparent.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“It is of the utmost importance to demand full respect for international humanitarian law, human rights law and refugee law. We are concerned about the sexual exploitation and abuse case in the Central African Republic and the systemic weaknesses within the United Nations system it has brought to light. We welcome the Secretary-General's decision to establish an independent investigation and look forward to its results. Thirty per cent of the victims of reported cases of sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations peacekeeping missions in Haiti, Liberia, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were minors. The United Nations proclaimed zero-tolerance policy will be ineffective as long as accountability mechanisms remain opaque or simply not in place and reporting remains difficult or even dangerous.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“We welcome this debate and extend a special welcome to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, who is with us throughout the debate today. We very much appreciate and value her work and the work of her Office. The Secretary-General's report (S/2015/409) once again shines a light on the many ways in which children are affected by armed conflict, on the increasing number of horrendous crimes committed against them and on the perpetrators of this Violence. We support many of the recommendations in the report, in particular the one on the need to include abductions of children as a trigger mechanism for listing. My brief intervention will focus on three points today. First, we are pleased to see a strong call for accountability among the recommendations.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“Liechtenstein believes that the Council should make more frequent use of its power to refer situations to the International Criminal Court, which can play an important role in that regard. Furthermore, efforts aimed at resolving conflicts must take greater account of children's needs. Mediation processes and peace negotiations and their outcomes should include the perspective of children at the earliest possible stage; that will lead to broader understanding and acceptance and ultimately better implementation. We therefore call on the Council, the relevant United Nations entities and the Member States concerned to consistently integrate and address the needs of children in all relevant decisions and policies and, most important, in their work on the ground.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“In 15 conflicts, parties used schools for military purposes. Liechtenstein reiterates its condemnation of those practices, which gravely endanger civilians and deprive children of their education. We urge States to take steps nationally and internationally to end those serious violations of international humanitarian law and to protect children's right to education. We therefore welcome the draft Lucens Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict, and hope for their widespread implementation. We commend the leadership role that Norway has taken in that respect. We cannot continue to tolerate inaction and impunity with regard to the atrocious crimes committed against children every day.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“We are also pleased to see the progress achieved by the Governments of Yemen, Myanmar, Afghanistan and South Sudan. At the same time, we note that 51 of the 59 parties listed are non-State actors. Most of them have been listed for at least five years and are hence considered persistent perpetrators. We therefore continue to support the Special Representative's efforts to engage with all relevant parties to conclude action plans and promote their implementation. We welcome in that regard the commitments made by non-State actors in South Sudan, the Philippines and in Syria. We hope that those will soon be followed by action and tangible progress on the ground. Of the 23 conflicts profiled in the Secretary- General's report, 17 included targeted attacks on schools, students and teachers.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“Since then, the plight of children has gone from bad to worse in several situations, including in Gaza, Syria, Iraq and Nigeria. Liechtenstein particularly condemns the unspeakable violence committed by Boko Haram and fully supports its listing in the annex to the report, as well as its inclusion in the Council's Al-Qaida sanctions list. We are also shocked by the atrocious abuses of children by Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham, as evidenced in the statement of the Special Representative. We would like to congratulate the Special Representative and UNICEF for the success of the Children, Not Soldiers campaign. We commend the Government of Chad for having implemented the Action Plan and for its delisting from the Secretary-General's report.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“I would like to thank your delegation, Mr. President, for convening this debate and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and the other briefers for the information and analysis they have provided to us. I also would like to extend special thanks to Ambassador Lucas, Chair of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, for her presence in the Chamber and the work she has been doing throughout the year. While we welcome the Secretary-General's annual report (S/2014/339), we are once again appalled by its findings. Children around the world continued to suffer serious violations of their rights, including unlawful recruitment and use as soldiers, killing and maiming, rape and other forms of sexual violence, abductions and denial of humanitarian access in 23 conflicts in 2013.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“Once the Court's jurisdiction over the crime of aggression is activated in 2017, the Council will have a new policy option for addressing the most serious forms of the illegal use of force, in contravention of the Charter of the United Nations. We continue to actively promote ratifications of the Kampala amendments and stand ready to provide technical assistance to any State interested in ratifying them.”
2014-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7113 (2014) · source
“It is becoming increasingly clear that the Council cannot continue to apply vastly different due process standards in the various sanctions regimes. We therefore once again call on the Council to consider expanding the Ombudsperson's mandate to other sanctions regimes step by step and where appropriate. Before concluding, I would like to briefly turn to an issue that relates to the core of today's topic, namely, the rule of law in the maintenance of international peace and security. Since the last open debate on this issue, the Rome Statute's amendments on the crime of aggression have been ratified by 13 countries, including my own. If the trend continues, we will reach the required 30 ratifications within the next two years.”
2014-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7113 (2014) · source
“Making institutional arrangements to improve communication and cooperation with the Court would be a step in the right direction. Furthermore, the Council should make greater use of its own operations, such as peacekeeping missions and Sanctions Committees, to support the Court's work, in particular regarding arrest and surrender. The third area is improving due process standards for sanctions listings. The European Court of Justice recently reminded us in the Kadi Il case about the continuing difficulty of reconciling the Council's sanctions listing and delisting procedures with international human rights law. We recognize that the Council has made great progress in that regard as far as the Al-Qaida sanctions are concerned thanks to the improved legal mandate and the tireless efforts of the Ombudsperson, Ms. Kimberly Prost.”
2014-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7113 (2014) · source
“The Council has therefore refrained from referring to the ICC several situations that cry out for criminal justice, such as the crisis in Syria. The findings of the United Nations commission of inquiry on human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea challenge the Council to seriously discuss a referral of that tragic situation to the Court. Where referrals have been made, the Council tiptoes around urgently needed follow-up measures, in particular regarding the Darfur situation. Where States refuse to cooperate with the ICC in relation to Security Council referrals, they effectively refuse to comply with the Council's own decisions. Nevertheless, the Council has regularly failed to respond to notifications of non-cooperation by the Court. It must do more to address thatproblem.”
2014-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7113 (2014) · source
“More than 20 years ago, the Council itself became the pioneer of international criminal justice by establishing the ad hoc tribunals. Since then, it has supported accountability mechanisms, such as the Special Court for Sierra Leone and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. With the establishment of the ICC and the possibility of Security Council referrals, the Council received a powerful addition to its repertoire. In theory, the power to refer makes it easier than ever for the Council to promote the rule of law and accountability by simply requesting the services of the Court, which so far are free, in appropriate situations. But practice has shown that the Council is still not fully comfortable with the Court in several respects.”
2014-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7113 (2014) · source
“The importance of ensuring that United Nations peacekeepers and other personnel abide by the applicable laws and do not commit crimes cannot be overstated. Much remains to be done to effectively prevent such crimes and to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice. Repatriation alone is insufficient to bring about accountability. Greater efforts must be made to prevent impunity for the sake of the victims of such crimes and for the credibility and effectiveness of support for the United Nations in the countries concerned. The second area is improving relations and cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC). Criminal accountability for the worst crimes under international law is a core element of the rule of law.”
2014-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7113 (2014) · source
“That is needed in particular at the country level but also among donors, international organizations and, certainly, the Security Council itself. The Council's commitment to and increasing practice of promoting the rule of law, in particular by including rule-of-law activities in mission mandates, are encouraging and need to continue. But it also needs to be more consistent, as is evident from the Council's own challenges in living up to rule-of-law principles, in particular in the following areas. The first area is ensuring the proper conduct of United Nations personnel in the field. Peacekeeping missions and other operations mandated by the Security Council undertake crucial activities, many of them in direct support of the rule-of-law architecture in the respective host country.”
2014-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7113 (2014) · source
“I would like to thank you, Madam President, for having convened today's debate. We would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his report on measuring the effectiveness of rule of law programmes (S/2013/341). We are glad to see progress in establishing a culture of measurement across the Organization in response to calls both by this body and by the General Assembly, while also recognizing that there are limits as to how precise that exercise of measuring the United Nations impact on the rule of law can be. Ensuring maximum value for the money invested is of course an important factor in improving the impact of rule-of-law mandates. Perhaps an even more important factor, however, is the political will to prioritize rule-of-law programmes as a means of addressing conflict and post-conflict situations.”
2014-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7113 (2014) · source
“The United Nations has been a very successful Organization both in ending conflicts and in creating peace, but we are as far as ever from our goal of preventing armed conflict as such. An essential element in this respect is outlawing war. While the Charter achieved that goal, it did not create criminal responsibility for individuals who violate this law. This gap can be filled by all of us now by giving the International Criminal Court jurisdiction over the crime of aggression, and all States can contribute to this goal by ratifying the Kampala amendments to this effect.”
2014-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7105 (2014) · source
“The United Nations can assist by offering the expertise and experience it has, but the key element of success will always be ownership by the parties - the willingness not only to participate in such an effort, but also to promote the joint narrative, to educate future generations and to make sure that the narrative is embraced. The most important lesson we have to draw collectively from war is one that is reflected in the Charter of the United Nations, repeated many times since and stated many times before - that war is evil, that it is a scourge and that it creates incredible suffering, in particular among those who have no guilt and bear no responsibility.”
2014-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7105 (2014) · source
“A joint effort by those who were divided in conflict to establish the facts, to ensure that the story is told, to create that narrative is perhaps a more important component in bringing the conflict to a solid end and creating a permanent peace. Often, such efforts take the form of truth and reconciliation commissions. There are in fact examples where the work of such commissions alone has been very successful in bringing societies together, most prominently perhaps in South Africa. This is also an area where the United Nations can make a meaningful contribution and has done so many times in the past in Guatemala, El Salvador and Timor-Leste.”
2014-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7105 (2014) · source
“Perhaps the starkest illustration of that fact is the refusal of the Council to engage in a meaningful discussion of accountability for the crimes committed in Syria some three years into the conflict. Even though a very significant number of States have formally asked the Council to make use of its competence to refer the situation to the ICC, it has not responded either by doing so or by discussing alternative accountability options. If individual criminal accountability is key, it is in many cases not enough in and of itself. In particular, it will not automatically lead to the creation of a historical narrative that is embraced by all parties to a conflict.”
2014-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7105 (2014) · source
“So, for the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica, it is as essential that those who have criminal responsibility for that crime be held accountable at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia as it is that the story of the actual events, immensely painful as they are, be told. The Security Council has slowly and somewhat reluctantly played a role in that respect, while only a limited one. The International Criminal Court (ICC) and the role the Council can play under its founding treaty, the Rome Statute, give the Council the opportunity to engage consistently and effectively in the effort to ensure accountability. But in most cases so far, it has passed on that opportunity.”
2014-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7105 (2014) · source
“One element of establishing such a joint narrative is individual criminal accountability in conflict situations where the most serious crimes under international law have been committed. In ensuring that there is no impunity for such crimes, we achieve two goals. First, there can be no closure for those involved in a conflict - as victims or as participants - unless those who bear the largest share of responsibility for such crimes are brought to account. An international consensus has therefore emerged that there can be no amnesty for those most serious crimes. Secondly, there is no way a community traumatized by such events can move on unless the story of what actually happened has been told.”
2014-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7105 (2014) · source
“Establishing a common narrative can be a complex, painful and time-consuming undertaking. Promoting such a narrative and ensuring that it is processed and embraced can be the work of generations. History is written by humans and, as such, is the product of interpretation and judgements of individuals. It can therefore be argued, of course, that there is no such thing as "the truth", but rather that truth is an agreement on the interpretation of and the way of giving meaning to historical events and facts. Only a historical narrative agreed to by those who have been on opposing sides in a conflict can therefore serve the purpose of reconciliation and creating and ensuring a permanent peace. Competing historical narratives can have quite the opposite effect, and in fact be an important factor in the recurrence of conflict.”
2014-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7105 (2014) · source
“A full century certainly is a very long time, but we have seen conflicts where historic events from several centuries ago have played a role, sometimes a critical one, in the rhetoric and dynamic leading to the outbreak of hostilities or the inability to settle a conflict. Reconciliation certainly is an essential element of ensuring that a peace agreement leads to more than the mere absence of armed conflict - or, to use your words, Sir, to a permanent peace. Peace agreements should always contain mechanisms that allow for the necessary reconciliation efforts among the conflict parties, where necessary with outside help. Such mechanisms should be part and parcel of any peacebuilding effort. Those efforts usually require a long-term commitment; they always require time.”
2014-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7105 (2014) · source
“How do we make sure that there is a history to learn from in the first place - a common narrative that brings together those who have engaged in a conflict? We are confronted time and again with the difficulty of creating such a common narrative. One prominent example is the outbreak of the First World War, the seminal catastrophic event of the twentieth century ,which you, Mr. President, mentioned in yourremarksthis morning. The 100th commemoration of its outbreak this year has already led to an enormous production of research, articles, books and analysis and also to the conclusion by all ofus that, after a full century and enormous resources and brainpower dedicated to the topic, we are still lacking a common narrative on an event that has had far-reaching consequences that are still with us today.”
2014-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7105 (2014) · source