YouSaid · the spoken record

Yankey

lines on the record: 46
first: 2006-09-15
most recent: 2009-04-29
sittings or episodes: 8
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

“In conclusion, further efforts and better coordinated actions are needed to advance this process, which started a decade ago, to eliminate the recruitment and exploitation of child soldiers. Such efforts must take into account new and appalling trends, including such atrocities as the killing and maiming of children, rape and other forms of grave sexual violence, abductions, attacks against schools or hospitals and the denial of humanitarian access to children.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114Resumption1 (2009) · source
“The demobilization and reintegration of child soldiers remains a significant challenge, especially where gainful employment is not easily available. This brings to the fore the issue of development, especially in the health and education sectors. Comprehensive donor support for the demobilization efforts of affected Governments is thus imperative, if the incidence of the recycling of child soldiers within conflict areas is to be curbed. Existing international instruments, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, contain much of what is required to offer adequate protection to children. Those instruments need to be supplemented with vigorous implementation of existing mandates.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114Resumption1 (2009) · source
“Consequently, Ghana endorses the call by the Secretary-General for the expansion of the monitoring and reporting mechanism trigger to include rape and other grave forms of sexual violence. As we consider the next constructive steps forward, we wish to highlight, among others, the following points. There is a need for increased focus on prevention to ensure that children are protected against current and future recruitment and exploitation as soldiers. We call for legal safeguards to prohibit children under the age of 18 from being deployed in armed conflict. The root causes of recruitment invariably lie in poor governance and its effects, including human rights abuses, which create a fertile ground for child recruitment. Related to this are the cultural and economic factors that encourage child recruitment.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114Resumption1 (2009) · source
“The monitoring and reporting mechanisms that are now in place have facilitated the exposure of grave violations of the rights of children in those unfortunate circumstances. We trust that the Security Council will respond appropriately. Despite the substantial gains that have been reported, formidable problems persist. The recruitment, abuse, torture and exploitation of children are still commonplace among armed groups. We strongly condemn the perpetration of widespread and systematic rape and other forms of sexual violence against children, which have become the ugly characteristics of several ongoing conflicts. The rampant impunity with which these crimes are committed has emboldened the perpetrators to defy the authority of the Security Council and the will of the international community.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114Resumption1 (2009) · source
“We applaud them for their determined efforts to achieve the objectives outlined in resolution 1612 (2005). To Ms. Grace Akallo, we wish to express our admiration for her courage. Her dramatic personal testimony put a human face on a tragedy that often seems remote, but is in fact closer to us in many ways that might not be apparent. We also extend a hand of solidarity to countless other unlucky child victims who are caught up in the whirlwinds of violence and destabilization all over the world, and particularly in Africa. Ghana welcomes the substantial progress that has been made in developing strategies and mechanisms to curb the abuse and exploitation of children in conflict situations.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114Resumption1 (2009) · source
“I wish to commend the delegation of Mexico for organizing this open debate on children and armed conflict during your presidency, Sir. I welcome the opportunity to participate in this meeting. Ghana will continue to support the Security Council's efforts to protect children in situations of armed conflict, be they combatants or displaced, orphans or victims of sexual violence. We believe that the dehumanization and brutalization of such children do not augur well for the long-term stability and advancement of society in general. In this connection, we are grateful to the Secretary-General, his Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations and the Executive Director of UNICEF for their statements this morning.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114Resumption1 (2009) · source
“They must demonstrate the political will and, in collaboration with civil society, the private sector and the international community, fulfil their share of the responsibilities. In conclusion, we must accept that we are all in this together. Instability in Africa has global implications, as it can create zones of lawlessness, which can be exploited by criminals and terrorists. Without increased investment in conflict prevention, Africa will not achieve the rapid acceleration in development that its people seek. Investing in development is itself an investment in peace and security.”
2007-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5735 (2007) · source
“The time has come, therefore, for the Council to redefine its relationship with the other organs of the United Nations bearing direct responsibility for some of the problems that account for the proliferation of conflicts in Africa. On the other hand, my delegation believes that the Council could exercise the necessary discretion, albeit prudently, when it becomes necessary to consider looming threats to peace in exceptional circumstances. The Council must equally be mindful of emergent challenges - especially in the area of the environment - that have far-reaching implications for international peace and security in the foreseeable future. In all these efforts, African Governments owe their countries and citizens a responsibility to protect lives and property.”
2007-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5735 (2007) · source
“Related to this issue is the question of what problems should be and should not be discussed by the Council. It is widely acknowledged that most armed conflicts in Africa arise out of failures in governance and chronic economic vulnerability and their destabilizing impact on the process of democratization, the rule of law and respect for human rights. Hence, the issues of sustainable development and transparency and accountability in public institutions are central not only to consolidating peace and stability, but also to preventing tension from turning into violence. The Security Council, as the organ with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, must of necessity be interested in these issues as ones of strategic importance to its mandate.”
2007-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5735 (2007) · source
“A fraction of the $18 billion mentioned in the Secretary-General's report could have been expended on efficient and effective prevention action. The observation by the Secretary-General, coupled with the myriad of conflict-resolution strategies tried out over the years, should prompt us to question why our efforts have not had the desired impact. Part of the answer lies with lack of political will and part with lack of commitment to address the root causes of conflicts. For the Security Council to define its role properly, as well as to enhance its capacity to contribute meaningfully towards conflict prevention and resolution in Africa, it is imperative that we pay careful attention to the underlying causes of these conflicts in the first place.”
2007-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5735 (2007) · source
“Bilateral partners like the United Kingdom, the European Union, the United States and others have all contributed in diverse ways to support Africa and enhance its capacities to deal with the complex conflicts afflicting the continent. The ultimate objective in all these efforts, I believe, is to develop a new peace and security architecture that can contribute to preventing conflict and maintain durable peace on the continent. But as the Secretary-General's report acknowledges, an unacceptable gap still remains between rhetoric and reality in the area of conflict prevention, and that too often the international community spends vast sums of money to fight fires that could have been extinguished through preventive actions.”
2007-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5735 (2007) · source
“The United Nations is also working with the AU to develop a standby force capable of rapid deployment. Recently, the Peace and Security Council of the African Union and the United Nations Security Council, meeting in Addis Ababa, committed themselves to the development of a stronger and more structured relationship in the areas of the prevention, management and resolution of conflict and peacekeeping and peacebuilding. With this new framework of cooperation, a new dynamism is expected in the overall relations between the two organizations. The G-S African Action Plan, among other objectives, also seeks to support efforts by African countries and the United Nations to better regulate the activities of arms brokers and traffickers and to eliminate the flow of illicit weapons to and within Africa.”
2007-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5735 (2007) · source
“Although the African Union is determined to play a leading role in the maintenance of peace and security in Africa, it seeks to do so in close partnership with the United Nations in particular and the world community generally. This is evident in the numerous initiatives undertaken by both the African countries themselves and by non-African organizations, including bilateral partners, to strengthen cooperation with the AU and other, subregional, organizations. The most notable initiative is the adoption in 2005 of the United Nations Ten-year Capacity-building Programme for the African Union, followed last year by the Declaration on Enhancing UN-AU Cooperation. Both the Programme and Declaration reflect our joint commitment to find more effective ways to advance peace and security in Africa.”
2007-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5735 (2007) · source
“In addition, the Constitutive Act of the African Union binds its members to a number of democratic principles, including the rejection of unconstitutional change of government. The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) is another instrument to address governance issues identified as being among the major root causes of most of the conflicts in Africa. These and other initiatives clearly demonstrate a determination and commitment of African countries to resort to intra-African solutions in dealing with crisis in the region. These developments are consistent with the position outlined by the Secretary-General in his report in document A/60/89l, where it is correctly observed that the multilayered nature of effective preventive action and crisis management means no State or organization can act alone.”
2007-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5735 (2007) · source
“It is important to stress that African States are increasingly taking ownership of the process of addressing the peace and conflict issues that affect them. Over the past decade, there has been significant progress in strengthening peace and security in Africa through peace processes in Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Mali, Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire, as well as in building Africa's own capacity to manage conflicts through the African Union (AU) and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). Through the framework of the African security architecture, in particular the Peace and Security Council, the AU has established an integrated and a comprehensive mechanism that provides early warning on potentially explosive situations.”
2007-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5735 (2007) · source
“We too are pleased to welcome the Secretary-General and Ambassador Leo Merores, who is representing the General Assembly. We thank them for their statements. We further wish to commend the delegation of the Republic of the Congo for organizing the debate on conflict prevention and resolution in Africa, which, in the view of my delegation, remains a crucial challenge in the agenda for peace in Africa. We also thank the Congolese delegation for drawing up a concept paper that is very forward-looking in terms of its overall posture, not only towards the question of peace but also by emphasizing the need to build on existing initiatives and institutional mechanisms in the furtherance of peace on our continent.”
2007-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5735 (2007) · source
“We welcome the efforts being made to clear the cluster bombs and unexploded ordnance that have claimed the lives of several Lebanese nationals and injured many others. We wish to echo the appeal by the Secretary-General to the two sides to abide by their commitments under resolution 1701 (2006) in order to preserve the peace. My delegation is very keen to see tangible progress in the search for peace and stability in the Middle East, including, inter alia, the realization of an independent and viable Palestinian State in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions and related agreements. The stark reality is that our collective security is inextricably bound together with the future of the region. That places on us all an urgent responsibility to move beyond the status quo.”
2007-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5667 (2007) · source
“There can be no doubt that until it is resolved, the age-old conflict in the Middle East will continue to cast a shadow over the rest of the world. In his latest reports on the situation between Lebanon and Israel, the Secretary-General recorded significant progress in the implementation of resolution 1701 (2006), particularly the commitment to dialogue demonstrated by the two countries. We commend the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon for its efforts to facilitate the implementation of the relevant United Nations resolutions. On the other hand, we should be mindful of the various threats to peace that have been highlighted, including the internal political situation in Lebanon, the unresolved dispute over the Sheba'a farms, the reported breaches of resolution 1701 (2006) by the two sides and other provocative incidents.”
2007-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5667 (2007) · source
“Against that background, we wish to reiterate our full support for the Mecca accord, brokered by Saudi Arabia and other Arab leaders to bring an end to the deeply troubling armed clashes between Fatah and Hamas. We urge the Palestinians to endeavour to resolve their differences through dialogue so that they can present a peaceful and united front in seeking an independent and Viable State of their own. Further, we welcome the Arab peace plan and believe that it broadens the basis for a negotiated settlement to the Palestinian question. We trust that the Government of Israel will give due consideration to the peace plan, which, together with the Road Map and other existing agreements, ought to provide a workable framework for negotiating a just and durable peace between Israel and its neighbours.”
2007-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5667 (2007) · source
“Mahmoud Abbas, and we take this occasion to call for an immediate restoration of the truce between Hamas and Israel in order not to jeopardize this new opportunity for peace. It is also important to emphasize the need for the Quartet and other influential stakeholders to take whatever steps are required to reinforce the confidence-building initiatives undertaken by the two sides, including pressing for the immediate release of all hostages and prisoners, where appropriate - and we support the call for the release of the BBC journalist - as well as addressing the grave humanitarian crisis in the occupied Palestinian territories and the refugee camps.”
2007-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5667 (2007) · source
“We are grateful to Mr. Pascoe for his remarks and acknowledge the immense contribution of the outgoing Special Representative, Mr. Alvaro de Soto, to peace in the Middle East. We welcome the opportunity to participate in today's debate on the Middle East, which is taking place against the background of recent positive developments in that complex and volatile region. We are obliged nonetheless to express concern about the immediate and long-term ramifications of the ongoing violence in Iraq, especially the fate of internally displaced Iraqis and of refugees. We also hope most sincerely that the dispute over Iran's nuclear enrichment programme will be resolved through dialogue. My delegation is very much encouraged by the renewed contacts between the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Ehud Olmert, and the Palestinian President, Mr.”
2007-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5667 (2007) · source
“For its part, the Security Council, through its Working Group, must continue to pay close attention to the mechanism and extend to it every support in meeting the challenges ahead, not least the elimination of the conditions in which the abuse of children flourishes.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“We recognize that information constitutes the greatest weapon in the whole enterprise of redressing the negative impact of armed conflict on children. Consequently, the role of the monitoring and reporting mechanism cannot be overstated, and everything must be done to strengthen its overall resource base and capabilities. As the report rightly notes, action is required in that respect, at both the national and international levels, to mobilize the necessary resources and enhance the capacity to gather first-hand information in the field for use by the appropriate law enforcement authorities. We welcome the progress that has been made by the monitoring and reporting mechanism in extending its reach by building the necessary linkages with a range of important actors, such as various United Nations agencies, national authorities and NGOs.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“In particular, State parties must have the political will and commitment to strengthen measures to prevent recruitment of children for armed forces or armed groups and their use in hostilities, particularly by signing the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict. More importantly, all concerned must enact legislation clearly forbidding the recruitment of under-age children - those under 15 years of age - into armed forces and groups and their direct participation in hostilities. Let us also bear in mind that actions plans can be meaningful and effective only when they are rooted in realism, in terms of both the required resources and the capacity to deliver, plus a genuine commitment to the underlying objectives. Without that, all our efforts will come to naught.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“In fact, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child is mandated, among other things, to collect and document information, commission interdisciplinary assessment of situations on African problems in the fields of the rights and welfare of the child and also to cooperate with other African, international and regional institutions and organizations concerned with the promotion and protection of the rights and welfare of the child. It is for these reasons that we attach great importance to the findings and recommendations in both the report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict and the independent review of the monitoring and reporting mechanism for children and armed conflict progress.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“As a signatory to the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, which has been in force since November 1999, Ghana is keenly aware of the enormous challenges faced by African countries in their endeavour to end all violations of the rights and dignity of children and to extend to them the protection they so desperately deserve. We believe cooperation could be enhanced between the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the United Nations, as well as the relevant non- governmental organizations (NGOs), so as to complement each other's efforts in the area of child protection.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“Mr. President, it is my pleasure to acknowledge your presence here as the Foreign Minister of Peru, and to thank your delegation for organizing this debate. May I also express our appreciation to the Secretary-General and his Special Representative and to the Executive Director of UNICEF and the representative of Save the Children for their contributions to this debate. We very much welcome the opportunity to participate in another discussion on the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict, a practice that should be denounced for its devastating and far-reaching social consequences. It is bad enough that rebel groups frequently recruit children to fight their cause, but it becomes deeply disturbing when Governments, which have the responsibility to protect their own citizens, are caught indulging in this criminal enterprise.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“In most reports one still sees the figure of 200,000, or sometimes 300,000. Are there any up-to- date records on the number of deaths?”
2006-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5571 (2006) · source
“The tragic irony about the situation in Darfur is that the flow of arms and those engaging in war crimes and crimes against humanity enjoy more freedom than do those engaged in saving lives. It is for the Council to draw its own conclusions about the motives and intentions behind the deliberate imposition of restrictions on humanitarian relief. Mr. Egeland, who is very familiar with the daily reality in the IDP camps, has strongly emphasized that the time available to avert a looming disaster in Darfur is very limited. We must decide on the appropriate response. I have a question that is just a matter of detail. We are interested to know from the Emergency Relief Coordinator whether there are any up-to-date records on the number of deaths that have occurred in the IDP camps.”
2006-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5571 (2006) · source
“I thank Under-Secretary- General Egeland for his update. I wish to commend him on his tireless efforts to ensure that the plight of the millions of displaced people in Darfur continues to receive the attention it deserves. We further welcome his positive assessment of the negotiations between the Lord's Resistance Army and the Government of Uganda and his recommendations in that regard. We share the view that without justice there can be no lasting peace and stress the need to uphold the independence of the International Criminal Court. The Emergency Relief Coordinator has been very clear about the urgency with which the impediments to the delivery of humanitarian assistance must be addressed, even as the consultations on implementing the Darfur Peace Agreement and the related deployment of a peacekeeping mission in Darfur continue.”
2006-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5571 (2006) · source
“We also expect the Quartet to deliver on its promise to implement the road map for peace in the Middle East. That is the only way to assure the Palestinians that the international community is committed to helping them realize their aspirations for national independence. At the same time, the security of Israel must be recognized as a constant in the equation for peace, and the necessary guarantees given so that the Israelis no longer feel singled out for condemnation by the international community whenever they take steps to defend their national security.”
2006-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5568 (2006) · source
“For the Palestinians, the dream of an independent State remains a distant one that, in fact, risks being compromised permanently, given the evolving situation on the ground. Ghana believes that the way to lasting peace is a just and negotiated settlement that gives the two parties meaningful space to realize their national aspirations. We also recognize that Lebanon, Syria, Iran and Iraq are essential factors in the equation for peace in the Middle East. But a genuine commitment to peace requires sustained dialogue among all the parties, based on respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all the States in the region. Today, it is not only the integrity of the Security Council that has been called into question for failing to implement its own resolutions.”
2006-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5568 (2006) · source
“We agree with the Under-Secretary-General that the status quo is futile and unacceptable. We therefore welcome the proposed initiative by France, Italy and Spain which we have just heard. We hope it will yield some positive results. We have also heard the repeated denunciation of both the incessant indiscriminate firing of numerous Qassam rockets into Israel by Palestinian militants and the devastating consequences of Israeli reprisals. It is necessary to emphasize that those actions stem from decades of power struggle involving the right to self- determination and independence of both the peoples of Israel and Palestine. Ghana is disappointed that the various peace initiatives have brought the parties no closer to a settlement. Although the Israelis have realized their own State, they must confront various security threats.”
2006-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5568 (2006) · source
“We very much appreciate the briefing we have just received from Under- Secretary-General Ibrahim Gambari on the situation in the Middle East. We share the common concern expressed about the escalating violence and the high number of civilian casualties, especially on the Palestinian side. But we are no less saddened by the assassination of the Lebanese Minister. In the absence of an active peace process to address the grievances and interests of all the parties involved in the Middle East conflict, we are likely to witness more ugly incidents - such as the brutal assassination of the Lebanese minister and, before that, the tragic incidents in Beit Hanoun and those that took place during the war in Lebanon - as well as the intolerable deprivation and poor humanitarian situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.”
2006-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5568 (2006) · source
“We know that the presence of UNMIS has not made much of a significant difference in the situation in Darfur. So, as we consider what to do between now and 1 January, we should also not overlook the issues that I have highlighted: the size, the mandate and the question of access for UNMIS. And finally, who is going to be accountable? War crimes have been committed, and they continue to be committed. That cannot be glossed over. What my delegation has been insisting on, particularly in the African context, is that all countries must be treated equally. What is bad in Cote d'Ivoire is bad in the Sudan. Today, Charles Taylor is languishing in jail. What is going to happen to those who have committed serious war crimes in the Sudan? We do not have the answers, but these are not issues that we are prepared to sweep under the carpet.”
2006-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5528 (2006) · source
“In conclusion, we are all very happy that the African Union and AMIS are playing a role. But let us not forget: what we are doing is not window-dressing. We are not interested in a window-dressing force that can be pushed around at will. We are interested in a force that can make a difference. If UNMIS was not even able to clear its communications equipment in eight months and is being restricted from certain parts of the Sudan, one may want to ask, concerning the proposed extension of the mandate of the mission, under what terms it is going to perform: what size and what mandate? Are they going to have unrestricted access? These are not issues we should gloss over, because these issues will make the difference between an UMIS that is able to perform on the one hand and business as usual on the other.”
2006-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5528 (2006) · source
“For us, there can be no other interpretation, unless of course the Government of the Sudan can provide more information on that matter. It is also obvious from the assessment given by the Special Representative that the Darfur Peace Agreement is falling apart, and not necessarily because some parties did not sign it, regrettable as that is. We do not make any excuses for the parties that did not sign the Agreement. But it is clear that they did not take up arms again and try to destabilize the situation; they simply did not sign the Agreement. Why did they not sign it? According to information available to us, they were not happy about two things: the wealth- sharing and the compensation. So, whichever way you go about it, you come back to core problem.”
2006-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5528 (2006) · source
“I would have liked not to make a linkage on a certain matter, but unfortunately, the facts cannot be interpreted otherwise. Here, I am talking about the treatment of the IDPs. We heard clearly what Mr. Pronk said: that sexual abuse is being used as a tool of war. How do we interpret the forced relocation of people in IPD camps? Why does UNMIS not have access to those people to find out what their needs are and then to stand up for them? Where are they? Are we to say that the bombing and the burning of villages are the first part of a strategy of confining people to the camps and then, later on, forcibly relocating them? I do not know, but that is what the facts on the ground suggest. We have to read those facts in the light of the power-sharing and wealth-sharing problems that have been highlighted in the report.”
2006-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5528 (2006) · source
“We know clearly that that aspect of the CPA - the power-sharing, the wealth-sharing and the treatment of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) - has not worked. The constitutional review process, the legislative reform, the vital electoral laws: we have not made any progress there. And yet, they constitute the core of the power-sharing aspect of the Agreement. With respect to wealth-sharing, we also know that there is a tussle between the National Petroleum Commission and the Ministry of Energy and Mining. Behind the technical manoeuvring, there is also the real problem of deciding what must go to whom. It is not just a technical or legal matter about who has the competence and so forth. Wealth-sharing is at the heart of the problem. The same applies to the boundaries - Abyei and the north-south boundary - as Mr. Pronk explained.”
2006-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5528 (2006) · source
“So, I think the timely adoption of our resolution is very positive, and we call on all to cooperate. The assessment that has been given is also very disturbing in some key aspects, particularly with regard to those parts of the CPA that seek to address the underlying causes of the conflict in southern Sudan. But the failures also show why the Darfur problem is so difficult to resolve, and perhaps why the Government of the Sudan is so vehemently opposed to the deployment of a United Nations mission. To put it briefly, it seems to me that the Government of the Sudan must first take a certain strategic decision. That strategic decision is to accept all the ethnic groups in the Sudan as equal citizens, because that relates to the root cause of the conflict.”
2006-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5528 (2006) · source
“I too wish to express appreciation to Mr. Pronk for his very illuminating assessment of the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). That assessment indicates a mixed record of success and setbacks. It also shows what a United Nations mission can accomplish when the receiving State embraces it as a partner in solving problems. We look forward to the draft resolution being proposed by the United States and to its early adoption. As the report of the Secretary-General (S/2006/728) clearly shows, the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS) is already lending critical support to the African Union Mission in the Sudan (AMIS). That confirms that the proposed expansion of UNMIS into Darfur is a logical, natural extension of what is already happening and is intended to enhance work that is already being done.”
2006-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5528 (2006) · source
“Nonetheless, we support the appeal for extra resources so that the agencies and groups on the ground can carry on with the vital work they are doing. Finally, we believe that the African Union and other subregional groupings bear the primary responsibility to provide humanitarian relief for their own kith and kin. We hope to work with other African countries to explore ways to enhance our contribution to humanitarian relief on the continent.”
2006-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5525 (2006) · source
“There is also the risk of the permanent displacement of IDPs. I have in mind northern Uganda, where a whole generation of people has been born and raised in such camps, with little prospects of return and of being integrated into the wider society. The threat posed by prolonged stays in those camps should not be underestimated. Given the changing dynamics of conflicts on the continent, those camps could be fertile grounds to recruit mercenaries, and even terrorists. We recognize that not much can be achieved without adequate funding. We commend those countries, non-governmental organizations and civil society groups that continue to be the backbone of the global humanitarian effort, particularly in Africa.”
2006-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5525 (2006) · source
“Secondly, the deliberate targeting of humanitarian workers, who are often the main lifelines for IDPs and refugees, also deserves to be given much more serious attention in the international criminal justice system. Sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of women and children should also not be tolerated. Related to that is the phenomenon of human trafficking, which has been reported to exist in certain camps in other parts of Africa. The proliferation of small arms in IDP camps - and we have just heard, in the course of the briefing, what the Mayi Mayi have been doing - is also another problem that deserves the Council's attention. Those arms are frequently used to terrorize displaced persons, and they always have the risk of turning camps into staging grounds for bloody armed confrontations, thereby aggravating the humanitarian situation.”
2006-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5525 (2006) · source
“We need to pay close attention to that. From our perspective, we have to focus closely on the factors that aggravate suffering in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs). Those factors include restrictions on humanitarian access and the use of aid-dependant civilian populations as hostages and political bargaining chips. Insofar as such restrictions have potential genocidal effects on displaced populations, there is a need to assign criminal liability to identified offenders in that regard, and to pursue their prosecution as far as practicable. We agree with the Under-Secretary-General that, whatever the outcome of the peace talks in Juba between the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the Government, those liable for International Criminal Court prosecution should meet the fate to be allotted to them.”
2006-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5525 (2006) · source
“I wish to add a word of appreciation for Under- S ecretary-General Jan Egeland's thought-provoking assessment of the humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. We welcome the positive developments that he highlighted, but we are also concerned about the remaining obstacles to the extension of relief to displaced persons. Obviously, the achievement of durable peace is the key to the elimination of the humanitarian problems that he has highlighted. It is therefore only right that the Security Council continues to be fully seized of the humanitarian consequences of conflict as an integral part of its mandate. It is well established that the forced displacement of large segments of populations has become part of the strategy of combatants in furtherance of their military objectives.”
2006-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5525 (2006) · source