YouSaid · the spoken record

Wood

lines on the record: 630
first: 1994-05-05
most recent: 2023-12-21
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

“Since the transitional Government of Gabon announced a detailed timeline, leading to elections by August 2025, the United States has begun to resume bilateral security, environmental and development cooperation. Those programmes and activities will be restarted in tranches tied to progress the transitional Government makes on its self-imposed benchmarks over the next 20 months. Turning to the Central African Republic, the United States calls on the Government and opposition to engage constructively and transparently ahead of and during the country’s first local and regional elections since 1988. Those elections are a critical element of decentralization and building local institutions that are responsive to citizens’ needs.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“I commend Chad for opening its borders to the Sudanese refugees, but remain concerned that the crisis may increase instability in the region. The United States repeats its call for Chad to support a peaceful political solution to the war in the Sudan and to prevent the movement of material assistance to either of the belligerent forces there. The United States similarly reaffirms its commitment to support Gabon in conducting a timely and durable transition to democratic civilian governance and advancing shared security interests in the Gulf of Guinea. We will continue to work closely with the Gabonese people and regional partners to that effect.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“I thank Mr. Abarry, Special Representative of the Secretary- General, for his informative briefing, and it is a pleasure to welcome him back to the Council. I would like to first express my country’s firm commitment to supporting the democratic aspirations of the people of Central Africa. There are a number of pressing challenges in the region, including supporting inclusive and sustainable democratic transitions in Chad and Gabon, upcoming elections in the Central African Republic and the continuing threat from Boko Haram. Now is the time for the Government of Chad to take tangible steps towards creating a democratic future. And I encourage Special Representative Abarry to facilitate the full participation of all non-armed political opposition groups in the transition.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“The United States is deeply concerned about the security and humanitarian situation in Haiti. The continued suffering that the ongoing violence is inflicting on the Haitian people must end, and the Council must leverage every available tool to address the threats to peace and security. To that end, we are committed to considering additional individuals for United Nations designation, and we welcome the support and sponsorship of our fellow Council members. The United States remains steadfast in its support of the Haitian people, and we will continue to work closely with the Government of Haiti and Council members to advance peace and prosperity in Haiti and the region. The meeting rose at 3.25 p.m. 2/223-40198”
2023-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9504 (2023) · source
“The United States thanks Gabon for its stewardship of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 2653 (2022) concerning Haiti and commends the Committee’s activities this past year. We are also grateful to the Panel of Experts for their important work. Their comprehensive reporting has kept the Security Council informed about the dire humanitarian situation in Haiti and spotlighted the nefarious activities of gang leaders and their political and economic affiliates. Based on the list of Panel recommendations, the United States was pleased to nominate four gang leaders for United Nations designation and greatly appreciated the wide support among Council members and of Haiti. We commend the Council for its successful designation of those individuals, who have committed serious human rights abuses and transnational criminal acts.”
2023-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9504 (2023) · source
“All Congolese should be able to cast their votes without fearing for their safety and must be able to view results at the polling station and online in a timely fashion. We regret that elections will not take place in Rutshuru and Masisi, owing to insecurity. Finally, this reporting period brought to light deeply concerning allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse in MONUSCO. The United States is fully committed to the United Nations zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse. We urge Member States to join us as we engage with MONUSCO and the Secretariat to ensure that peacekeepers and Mission personnel are held accountable for conduct and discipline, as well as performance.”
2023-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9500 (2023) · source
“We once again call on Rwanda to end its support for the Mouvement du 23 mars and withdraw from the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We urge all actors to recommit to the Nairobi and Luanda processes and take advantage of new space for dialogue following elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo later this month. We are encouraged by the preparations of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which MONUSCO has supported, for free and fair elections on 20 December. The increase in registered female candidates is commendable, although their participation remains low. The fact that many have faced threats of violence is deplorable. We urge political actors and civilians alike to refrain from hate speech and divisive rhetoric, which could lead to violence.”
2023-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9500 (2023) · source
“MONUSCO’s drawdown also demands a new vision for security and non-security solutions to the 30-year crisis of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Regional organizations and security forces are playing an important role, but, in order to provide support, the international community needs greater clarity on their mandates, operational requirements and human rights frameworks. The deployment of regional forces must be accompanied by renewed engagement in political processes. The speed at which Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo approached the brink of war in recent weeks was alarming. We welcome the commitments that both Governments have made towards de-escalation, but more must be done to reduce tensions and prevent miscalculations.”
2023-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9500 (2023) · source
“As in other peacekeeping transitions, MONUSCO’s drawdown will be challenging. The Democratic Republic of the Congo faces a looming financial cliff when transitioning from assessed to voluntary contributions amid growing humanitarian and development needs. The United States Agency for International Development and the Department of State allocated more than $956 million in humanitarian aid and bilateral assistance to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in fiscal year 2022, not including our support to MONUSCO. We call on the international community to mobilize additional resources now to bolster the work of United Nations agencies, funds and programmes in preparation for MONUSCO’s departure.”
2023-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9500 (2023) · source
“The proof, however, will be in the implementation. The Security Council will closely monitor MONUSCO’s disengagement, with a focus on the ability of the security forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to provide stability and security as peacekeepers draw down. We welcome the flexibility built into the plan and stress that the drawdown from each province should be thoroughly and transparently evaluated for any negative impacts on civilian protection and the humanitarian situation. Major gaps will be unacceptable and should prompt an immediate reassessment and a pause in subsequent phases. We welcome the joint working group’s commitment to review progress on the implementation of the plan every three months and request that those assessments be shared with the Security Council.”
2023-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9500 (2023) · source
“I thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Keita for her informative briefing today. I would also like to welcome the representatives of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda to today’s meeting. The United States appreciates the dedication that Special Representative of the Secretary-General Keita, her team and the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo have shown in producing a plan for the gradual and responsible withdrawal of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) from the country. We also appreciate the commitment of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to assuming responsibility for civilian protection and extending State authority in the provinces where MONUSCO is deployed.”
2023-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9500 (2023) · source
“We will continue to work for that goal, because as Secretary Blinken has said, that is the only way to ensure lasting security for a Jewish and democratic Israel and the only way to ensure that the Palestinians achieve their legitimate aspirations for a State of their own.”
2023-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9499 (2023) · source
“The United States will continue the hard work of diplomacy to free the hostages, increase the protection of civilians, expand humanitarian aid and create an opportunity for Palestinians and Israelis to live side by side, in peace and security. We also need to redouble our collective efforts to surge humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people and create the conditions necessary for humanitarian assistance to reach people who need it and are in desperate need of food, water and shelter. We are working towards that every day with Israel, Egypt, the United Nations and others. As President Biden reiterated last week, “A two-State solution is the only way to guarantee the long-term security of both the Israeli and the Palestinian people”.”
2023-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9499 (2023) · source
“Like the other members of the Council, I am heartbroken by the images out of Gaza and the deaths of the many thousands of civilians, including children. Every innocent Palestinian life lost is a tragedy that rips apart families and communities. It goes without saying that the United States supports the renewal of humanitarian pauses to enable the release of humanitarian aid and the provision of additional aid, even as we seek an end to the war, not for just one day or one week, but forever. Let us be clear. It is the draft resolution’s authors’ rejection of the United States’ sensible, indeed essential, proposals that has deprived the Council of an opportunity to support the tough work necessary to break the cycle of violence and lay the foundation for a more peaceful and secure future.”
2023-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9499 (2023) · source
“And yet today’s draft resolution essentially says that Israel should just tolerate that, and that it should allow this terror to go unchecked. That is not tenable, it is not realistic, and it is a recipe for disaster for Israel, the Palestinians and the entire region. As long as Hamas clings to its ideology of destruction, any ceasefire is, at best, temporary and is certainly not peace. Any ceasefire that leaves Hamas in control of Gaza would deny Palestinian civilians the chance to build something better for themselves. For that reason, although the United States strongly supports durable peace, in which Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security, we do not support the draft resolution’s call for an unsustainable ceasefire that will only plant the seeds for the next war.”
2023-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9499 (2023) · source
“The text failed to acknowledge that Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorism, consistent with international law. That is a right to which all States are entitled. As I stated earlier today (see S/PV.9498), no country could or should tolerate what Hamas did on 7 October. If any of our own countries had been attacked in that way, we would all expect the Council to reaffirm our right to protect our citizens. Perhaps most unrealistically, the draft resolution retains a call for an unconditional ceasefire. I explained in my remarks earlier today why that was not only unrealistic but dangerous. It would simply leave Hamas in place, able to regroup and repeat what it did on 7 October. A senior Hamas official recently stated that the group intends to repeat the vile acts of 7 October “again and again and again”.”
2023-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9499 (2023) · source
“Yet the Council and many of its members have been conspicuously silent in response to reports that Hamas committed acts of sexual and gender- based violence on 7 October. Those incidents must be investigated and condemned, just as they are in any other conflict. It is equally disappointing that the authors declined to add language reaffirming that the International Committee of the Red Cross must be permitted to access and provide medical treatment for the hostages still being held by Hamas terrorists and other extremists. The draft resolution also fails to encourage a resumption of humanitarian pauses to allow for the release of hostages and an increase in aid. That formula has worked. It could be resumed very quickly if Hamas agreed to release women and civilian hostages.”
2023-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9499 (2023) · source
“We still cannot comprehend why the draft resolution’s authors declined to include language condemning Hamas’s horrific terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October. It was an attack that killed more than 1,200 people — women, children, the elderly and people from a range of nationalities, burned alive, gunned down, subjected to obscene sexual violence. We are very disappointed that the authors offered for the victims of those heinous acts neither their condolences nor a condemnation of their murderers. It is unfathomable. Nor is there any condemnation of the sexual violence unleashed by Hamas on 7 October. Over the past 20 years, the Council has repeatedly underscored the need to take seriously all reports of conflict-related sexual violence.”
2023-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9499 (2023) · source
“Despite a rushed process and a lack of appropriate consultation by the authors of draft resolution S/2023/970, the United States engaged in good faith on the text. We proposed language with an eye to arriving at a constructive draft resolution that would have reinforced the life-saving diplomacy we have undertaken since 7 October, increased opportunities for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, encouraged the release of hostages and a resumption of humanitarian pauses and laid a foundation for durable peace. Unfortunately, nearly all of our recommendations were ignored, and the result of the rushed process was an unbalanced draft resolution that was divorced from reality and would not have moved the needle forward on the ground in any concrete way. And so, regretfully, we could not support it.”
2023-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9499 (2023) · source
“Our goal should not simply be to stop the war for today, it should be to end the war forever, break the cycle of unceasing violence and build something stronger in Gaza and across the Middle East so that history does not keep repeating itself. As has been the case since day one of this crisis, the United States will continue to use all its influence to encourage the reunification of hostages with their loved ones and the further expansion of aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza, who have suffered tremendous losses. We will continue pressing for the protection of civilians as Israel pursues legitimate military objectives. And we will not give up on a future in which Hamas does not control Gaza, which is untenable for Israel’s and the region’s security and the well-being of the Palestinian people.”
2023-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9498 (2023) · source
“The United States is therefore implementing a new visa restriction policy targeting individuals believed to have been involved in or meaningfully contributed to undermining peace, security or stability in the West Bank. President Biden has been clear: the Palestinian people deserve a State of their own and a future free from Hamas, and a two-State solution is the only way to guarantee the long-term security of both the Israeli and the Palestinian people. Members of the Council advocating for draft resolutions have an obligation to explain how their proposals will break the cycle of unceasing violence and support the steps we all agree are necessary to lay the foundation for a more peaceful and secure future so that history does not keep repeating itself.”
2023-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9498 (2023) · source
“Iran has the choice to provide or withhold this support, without which the Houthis would struggle to effectively track and strike commercial vessels navigating shipping lanes through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. We welcome the Council’s press statement (SC/15513) condemning those attacks and underlining the importance of navigational rights and freedoms of all vessels in the Red Sea. We are engaged in intensive consultations with partners and allies to determine the appropriate next steps. The United States has also been clear about the dangers from the rise in extremist violence committed by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank. Violent extremist settlers must be held accountable for violent acts.”
2023-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9498 (2023) · source
“Israel must avoid damage to civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, power stations, water facilities and telecommunications infrastructure. Regarding the regional dimensions of this conflict, we are concerned by the renewed violence along the Blue Line. Restoring calm there is of utmost importance, as is fully implementing resolution 1701 (2006). Moreover, we condemn the recent attacks by Houthis against three separate commercial vessels operating in international waters on the southern Red Sea. Consistent with Iran’s long-term support and encouragement of the Houthis’s destabilizing actions in the region, we know that Iran was engaged in planning Houthi operations.”
2023-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9498 (2023) · source
“Both of these outcomes are the result of intensive United States engagement with all parties and are consistent with resolution 2712 (2023). They lay the foundation to expand sustained, desperately needed humanitarian aid. Of course, humanitarian aid cannot be delivered if humanitarian workers are not protected, and all parties have an obligation to protect United Nations and humanitarian personnel. We offer our deepest condolences to all the families, friends and colleagues of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East staff who lost their lives since 7 October. Attacks against United Nations shelters and facilities are unacceptable. We have also continued to reaffirm that the work journalists do in conflict settings is vital and they, too, must be protected.”
2023-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9498 (2023) · source
“There must be no enduring internal displacement or reduction in Gaza’s territory. Under no circumstances will the United States support the forced relocation of Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank. Although the extended humanitarian pause has ended — again, by Hamas’s choice — we have been clear that humanitarian aid must not only continue, but must be expanded. We welcome the Israeli Government’s decision to open Kerem Shalom for inspections and screening of humanitarian goods. We will continue to be in touch with Israel to ensure this happens, and on the timeline committed. We also welcome the Israeli Government’s decision to ensure the provision of fuel that meets requisite needs to sustain the humanitarian assistance operation, including vital civilian infrastructure.”
2023-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9498 (2023) · source
“To back up those words and help protect civilians, we have supported establishing a more effective humanitarian deconfliction mechanism with the United Nations, and we are monitoring its implementation. That is a moral imperative and strategic imperative. One can only win in urban warfare by protecting civilians. In every conversation, we also have underscored that Israel must avoid further mass displacement of civilians in the south of Gaza, many of whom previously fled violence. Civilians must be provided adequate time and opportunity to move, including through corridors that allow people to move safely from defined areas of hostilities. Israel must further ensure sufficient humanitarian support exists for displaced individuals. Finally, civilians displaced in Gaza must have an opportunity to return home as soon as conditions permit.”
2023-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9498 (2023) · source
“We are doing everything possible to free the remaining hostages and reiterate our expectation that the International Committee of the Red Cross be permitted to access and provide medical treatment to the hostages held by Hamas and other extremist groups. The war is equally tragic for civilians in Gaza. The scale of civilian suffering is devastating and heartbreaking. Hamas intentionally embeds itself within civilian areas. But that does not in any way change the fact that how Israel defends itself matters. We have been unequivocal: Israel must respect international humanitarian law and conduct its operations in a way that minimizes civilian harm.”
2023-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9498 (2023) · source
“That is not a threat that any one of our Governments would allow to continue to remain on our own borders, not after the worst attack on our people in several decades. For that reason, while the United States strongly supports a durable peace in which both Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security, we do not support calls for an immediate ceasefire. That would only plant the seeds for the next war because Hamas has no desire to see a durable peace, to see a two- State solution. I am pained by the suffering that we have witnessed over the past two months. Even when we, as Governments, are compelled to take up arms and protect our people from the most heinous acts of terrorism and violence, war is tragic. It is tragic for the families of the hostages, who await word on the fate of their loved ones.”
2023-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9498 (2023) · source
“Its refusal to release young women hostages led to a breakdown in the pause and the resumption of the fighting. The Council’s failure to condemn Hamas’s 7 October terrorist attacks, including its acts of sexual violence and other unthinkable evils, is a serious moral failure. And it underscores the fundamental disconnect between the discussions that we have been having in this Chamber and the realities on the ground. An undeniable part of that reality is that, if Israel unilaterally laid down its weapons today, as some Member States have called for, Hamas would continue to hold hostages — women and children and elderly men — many of whom, according to survivor accounts, are being subjected to cruel and inhumane treatment. And as of today, Hamas continues to pose a threat to Israel and remain in charge of Gaza.”
2023-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9498 (2023) · source
“I thank Secretary-General Guterres for his briefing. For the past two months, the Security Council has been engaged in continuous meetings on the topics highlighted in his recent letter (S/2023/962). In parallel, and even as it has supported the right of another Member State to defend its people against heinous atrocities and acts of terrorism, the United States — at the highest levels — has undertaken intensive diplomacy to save lives and lay a foundation for a durable peace. American diplomacy opened the way for the first trucks that flowed into Gaza with aid. In partnership with Qatar and Egypt, it helped reunite more than 100 hostages with their loved ones and dramatically expanded aid to civilians in Gaza, during a seven-day- long humanitarian pause. Hamas, however, has a different set of goals.”
2023-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9498 (2023) · source
“The United States looks forward to hearing from other countries about how they are addressing transnational organized crime. We will continue to work with the United Nations, organizations such as the Financial Action Task Force, the Group of Seven’s Roma-Lyon Group and the Global Counterterrorism Forum, and countries around the world to address those challenges.”
2023-12-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9497 (2023) · source
“The United States recognizes the impact of transnational crime on fragile and climate-vulnerable contexts. Transnational organized criminals take advantage of fragility to advance their operations, including illicit drug trading, environmental exploitation and human and wildlife trafficking. We are eager to engage in the evolving and continued discussions surrounding nature crimes, including those crimes that impair the resilience of natural ecosystems to withstand climate change. Finally, the United States recognizes the complex challenges posed by transnational criminal organizations to maritime security, including the trafficking of illicit drugs and their chemical precursors, migrant smuggling, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and the illicit transport of weapons of mass destruction.”
2023-12-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9497 (2023) · source
“The United States welcomed the focus on access to justice at this year’s session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, and we welcome the agenda of the fifteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, focused on new, emerging and evolving forms of transnational organized crime. As we respond to transnational organized crime, we must ensure that the essential voices of those affected, including civil society, are foremost in our efforts. Like many threats to peace and security, the impacts of organized crime are often acutely felt by women and girls. We encourage the relevant United Nations entities to continue to support women’s safety and meaningful participation in forging lasting solutions to those challenges.”
2023-12-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9497 (2023) · source
“In July 2023, Secretary Blinken launched the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats to expand international cooperation to address synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl, and to disrupt the global illicit supply chain and the financial networks that enable the illicit manufacture and trafficking of synthetic drugs and their precursor chemicals. Existing treaties, including the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and international instruments and protocols provide a useful framework to facilitate law enforcement cooperation on combating crime.”
2023-12-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9497 (2023) · source
“The United States takes a comprehensive approach to countering transnational organized crime in its many insidious forms, from illicit drug and firearm trafficking, human trafficking and migrant smuggling to cybercrime, money laundering and other illicit activities. In 2021, President Biden established the United States Council on Transnational Organized Crime, bringing together the resources to modernize and expand our ability to target transnational criminal organizations. In addition, the White House strategy to combat transnational organized crime, which is forthcoming, will lay out our whole-of-Government strategic approach to combating that growing security threat.”
2023-12-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9497 (2023) · source
“I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this important meeting. I also want to thank Secretary-General Guterres for his remarks, as well as Executive Director Waly, Ms. Cammett and Ms. Nyanjura for their efforts to strengthen the Security Council’s understanding of transnational organized crime. I thank Ms. Nyanjura in particular for sharing her personal tragedy with us. Her remarks were extremely moving. We all have an interest in countering transnational organized crime, which stops neither at national boundaries nor at vast expanses of land, sea or cyberspace to exact its very high cost to individuals, to communities, to countries and even to our planet.”
2023-12-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9497 (2023) · source
“We greatly appreciate the efforts of Ukraine and so many countries around the world to alleviate the negative humanitarian and economic effects of the worldwide food crisis that has been exacerbated by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.”
2023-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9494 (2023) · source
“Global food markets are more volatile, less stable and less resilient, imperilling access to food elsewhere in the world. While Russia is grabbing a larger share of global grain markets at Ukraine’s expense, it is increasing its ability to leverage agricultural exports for political gain over nations that now depend on Russia for food. Thanks to its flagrant disregard for safety and freedom of the seas, it is no surprise that Russia failed to be re-elected to the International Maritime Organization’s Council for the first time since 1960. Every Security Council meeting is a reminder that we must continue to work to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine that is in line with the United Nations Charter.”
2023-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9494 (2023) · source
“It has threatened and struck commercial vessels in the Black Sea and seized search-and-rescue ships, as well as their crews. Since Moscow unilaterally withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, it has destroyed more than 300,000 metric tons of grain — enough to feed nearly 15 million people for a month. It is only through the efforts of Ukraine and its partners that the Black Sea humanitarian corridor has been opened and food exports have once again been made possible, allowing more than 6.3 million metric tons of grain and other cargo to reach international markets since August. Those massive shipments underscore the global demand for Ukraine’s grain. Today crews on the Black Sea and Sea of Azov are taking great risks in order to facilitate the movement of food supplies and goods from Ukraine to the rest of the world.”
2023-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9494 (2023) · source
“On the day that Ukraine commemorated the Holodomor famine, which killed several million people, Russia launched a major drone attack on Kyiv and elsewhere. We believe that was a sign of what is to come. Russia has also been undermining maritime security by threatening free and secure international shipping. By harassing and threatening vessels, interfering with navigation and attacking maritime infrastructure, Russia has acted in a manner inconsistent with the purposes and principles of the International Maritime Organization as set forth in article 1 of its Convention. The safety and security of navigation is critical to maintaining the integrity of global supply chains. Despite that, Russia continues to launch near- daily drone and missile attacks on Ukraine’s maritime infrastructure, ports and grain storage facilities.”
2023-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9494 (2023) · source
“The list goes on. Russia hopes that people will believe its lies if they are repeated enough, but regardless of its attempts to mask its imperialist ambitions, the way to end this war has always been unremarkable, simple and straightforward. Russia must cease its aggression and withdraw from Ukraine’s internationally recognized territory. The international community cannot turn a blind eye to Russia’s tactics and conduct in this war. Not only has Russia committed unspeakable war crimes; last winter it sought to destroy Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and deprive people of heat and electricity at the coldest time of the year. As we head into another cold winter, we expect Russia will try again. There have already been air strikes that appear to be targeting defensive systems put in place to protect energy infrastructure.”
2023-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9494 (2023) · source
“I thank Assistant Secretary-General Jenča and Director of Coordination Rajasingham for their briefings today. Since February of 2022, Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine has resulted in the deaths of nearly 10,000 civilians, injured more than 18,000 people and displaced more than 6 million. The numbers are staggering and continue to grow. Russia’s aggression has not only been a direct challenge to the Charter of the United Nations, but it has resulted in a massive humanitarian crisis with consequences far beyond Europe. We have heard an ever-growing list of nonsensical justifications from Russia for waging and continuing this unjustified war — de-Nazification; NATO; biological pathogens spread through bats and birds; a crusade against satanists; a humanitarian mission to protect speakers of Russian; and Russophobia.”
2023-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9494 (2023) · source
“UNITAD’s recent investigation into the manufacture and use of chemical weapons by ISIL was one such important, albeit disturbing, example. UNITAD’s evidence-sharing with other countries in support of prosecutions of ISIL members abroad is an essential element of its work. The fight against ISIL will not be complete until the ISIS perpetrators of atrocities are held accountable, wherever they may be. We should recognize that UNITAD continues to be a good example of how the United Nations can support post-conflict countries on a path to peace and security. For that reason, we need to be ready to continue its work in Iraq beyond the upcoming year, should the demand remain.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“We acknowledge the Government of Iraq’s desire for UNITAD to share additional evidence that it has collected for use by the Iraqi judicial system, as well as UNITAD’s efforts to work with the Government of Iraq in order to make that possible. To that end, we look forward to the Secretary-General’s report outlining specific actions that UNITAD and Iraq can agree on to ensure that such evidence-sharing takes place. In the meantime, we understand that there was both an analytical report on sexual violence against women and girls and an assessment report on Da’esh/ ISIL manufacturing and deploying chemical weapons, both shared with the Iraqi authorities in October and November. We stressed the importance of UNITAD’s role in providing information and evidence to third- party nations such as the United States.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“However, we must be clear-eyed about the implications of a hasty and premature closure of UNITAD, as Iraq continues its transition from conflict to stability and prosperity. UNITAD continues to provide support to Iraqi authorities by building the capacity of the Iraqi judicial system, facilitating mass-grave exhumations, collecting evidence, engaging victims, families and survivors and analysing battlefield evidence to help identify perpetrators of atrocities. UNITAD’s work is critical to holding members of the ISIL accountable for genocide against Yazidis, Christians and Shia Muslims and for crimes against humanity directed at those same groups and, in some cases, also at Sunni Muslims, Kurds and other minorities. After nearly 10 years, those communities continue to yearn for justice.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“I thank Special Adviser Ritscher for his briefing on the efforts of United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (UNITAD) to ensure accountability for the group’s heinous crimes in Iraq. I also welcome the Iraqi Ambassador to today’s Council meeting. Ever since the Security Council heeded Iraq’s request in 2017 to partner with the United Nations to establish UNITAD (see S/PV.8052), the United States has consistently supported its mission, and we continue to do so. The United States welcomes the extension of UNITAD’s mandate until September 2024, as well as Iraq’s continued commitment to work with the mission. In keeping with that mandate, the members of the Security Council must continue to assess UNITAD’s progress.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“We hope that they will do so. We also underline the necessity of an orderly UNITAMS transition and liquidation to ensure the safety of United Nations personnel and the effective functioning of all United Nations operations, including humanitarian and development assistance. The Sudanese people expect and deserve more from the Council. The situation for the Sudan and its people is dire.”
2023-12-01 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9492 (2023) · source
“Other members also refused to allow the Council to speak clearly and loudly in support of resolution 1591 (2005), which calls on all States to take necessary measures to prevent the sale or supply of arms and related material to actors operating in Darfur. This tragedy has gone on too long. We must unite to prevent external military support for either the Sudanese Armed Forces or the RSF and stop the flow of weapons into and through Darfur. While we believe the situation calls for a United Nations mission with a strengthened mandate, we welcome the announcement of the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for the Sudan, Mr. Ramtane Lamamra, and hope that the Security Council can come together to support his work. We understand that the Sudanese parties have committed to engage seriously with the Personal Envoy and support his mission.”
2023-12-01 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9492 (2023) · source
“Children, too, have experienced the perpetration of human rights abuses, including sexual violence and abuse, killing and maiming, forcible recruitment and unlawful use by armed groups. Throughout the debate on the resolution, we put forth common-sense recommendations to extend the UNITAMS mandate and allow Mr. Ian Martin to conduct a thorough strategic review of the Mission that would help to refine and strengthen its continued role, working in support of the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, in promoting an end to the conflict, a coordinated humanitarian response and the protection of human rights. However, other members of the Council did not agree, placing the narrow demands of the Sudan’s military Government ahead of the needs of the Sudanese people.”
2023-12-01 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9492 (2023) · source
“There are also reports of continued atrocities, including killings on the basis of ethnicity, targeted attacks on human rights defenders and the looting and burning of entire communities by the RSF and its allied militias in West Darfur. The atrocities occurring in West Darfur and other areas are an ominous reminder of the horrific events that led the United States to determine in 2004 that genocide had been committed in Darfur. The Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF are not only failing to protect the Sudan’s vulnerable populations, but they are also abusing human rights. Women and girls face pervasive and ongoing gender- based violence, including sexual violence, abduction and trafficking, and may be forced into manual labour or marriages. The belligerents, particularly the RSF, are involved in the vast majority of those violations.”
2023-12-01 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9492 (2023) · source