YouSaid · the spoken record

Yoseph

lines on the record: 38
first: 2022-04-13
most recent: 2023-07-14
sittings or episodes: 6
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

“While we commit to continuing our engagement with her Office, we hope that the Special Representative will sufficiently reflect on the inputs we provide and operate within her defined scope.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Our reconstruction and recovery programmes have also given adequate place for such sectors such as health, education, and the economy, and have a special focus on women. We have also intensified our efforts aimed at providing psychological support, legal assistance and socioeconomic support. Finally, I would like to reiterate that Ethiopia has an unwavering commitment to the respect, protection and fulfilment of all the human rights of women and to women’s equal and meaningful participation in all political processes. It is on this basis that we will further scrutinize the report with a view to addressing any relevant aspects of the recommendations contained therein.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378Resumption1 (2023) · source
“The fourth tier involves the work of the Ethiopian Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, which leads cross-sectional initiatives to provide rehabilitation and comprehensive support for victims. All the foregoing processes will further be consolidated in the mechanisms to be established under the transitional justice policy. The options for this transitional justice policy are being discussed in nationwide consultations. It is expected that the policy will take its final form in August and that implementation will start in September. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights are providing technical assistance to ensure these consultations conform to international standards.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378Resumption1 (2023) · source
“On women’s rights, we followed a four-tiered approach that encompasses accountability and victim support. The first of these tiers is the Inter-Ministerial Task Force (IMTF), which is implementing the recommendations of the joint investigation report of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The second tier involves the military justice system, which ensures accountability through its own mechanisms. In this process, we have pending and closed prosecutions against suspected perpetrators of alleged crimes against women. The third tier consists of the regular law-enforcement mechanisms that are coordinated with the IMTF on the prosecution of suspects and the provision of remedies for victims.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378Resumption1 (2023) · source
“We therefore caution the Special Representative of the Secretary-General from using such dubious sources. In the last two years, Ethiopia was faced with extraordinary security challenges. Despite these challenges, the Government of Ethiopia has made concerted efforts to ensure, respect and protect the rights of women in vulnerable situations. Unhindered humanitarian aid has been expedited to all people in need of assistance. The implementation of the November 2022 peace agreement has enabled the further provision of humanitarian aid, and the restoration of services and the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants are now under way. We have also charted a clear path for accountability for alleged human rights violations.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378Resumption1 (2023) · source
“We thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for her briefing this morning. Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General (S/2023/413), we would like to convey our thanks to the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary- General for the participatory working methods and consultations that allowed us to react to the draft report prior to its finalization. However, it is regrettable that, despite our engagement, the report does not incorporate our inputs and serious concerns. For that reason, I would like to put on record our strong reservations about the scope and content of the report where it deals with Ethiopia as well as its reference to the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia. We do not recognize this Commission and any of its substandard work.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378Resumption1 (2023) · source
“The prevailing practice, whereby we attempt to build and sustain peace while simultaneously applying political pressure and coercive measures that undermine the authority and capability of States, is self-defeating. Our actions must be coherent with our targets and must complement one another. To that end, political organs, development agencies and international financial institutions must take constructive measures in support of national priorities and efforts to ensure peace and development. In conclusion, Ethiopia believes that the challenges that surround building trust can be remedied only through concerted action, cooperation and solidarity. We can create effective multilateral cooperation with the United Nations at its core through adherence to the fundamental norms and principles of international relations.”
2023-05-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9315Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Correcting the status quo is therefore the most critical and urgent measure needed to generate trust. Furthermore, the United Nations as an Organization must make constant amends and enhance its credibility and ability to preside over global affairs so that it can win the trust of the people of the world. Adherence to the principle of subsidiarity and granting regional organizations the necessary space to execute their mandates and plans is also imperative. Fourthly, lasting peace and aspirations to create and develop functioning democracies and the rule of law demand coherence in the means and methods we apply in the context of international cooperation. Political support and the provision of economic and financial assistance — in particular development financing and efforts to combat climate change — go hand in hand.”
2023-05-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9315Resumption1 (2023) · source
“On that basis, we must recognize our cultural and civilizational diversity, which entails our approach to our shared values and goals within the realm of national policy choices. Furthermore, respect for national ownership entails embracing indigenous solutions and the policy choices of States. To that end, we must ensure that the discretion and prerogatives related to financing peacebuilding activities do not compromise that fundamental principle. Thirdly, the equal participation and representation of States are a critical element of building trust. Africa’s representation in the organs of the United Nations, including in this very Council, is obviously unjust. The status quo has already undermined the credibility of the Council and its decisions.”
2023-05-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9315Resumption1 (2023) · source
“To that end, creating confidence and respect for the principles of sovereignty, the sovereign equality of States and the non-interference in their internal affairs are supremely critical. Secondly, the principle of national ownership is the cornerstone of peacebuilding and sustaining peace. The responsibility to protect nationals and uphold national security is incumbent upon States themselves. In that regard, as provided under the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, every State has the right to freely choose and develop its political, social, economic and cultural systems.”
2023-05-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9315Resumption1 (2023) · source
“On that basis, I will raise four closely related issues that we believe are at the centre of creating confidence among nations and paving the way for building and sustaining peace. First, strict adherence to the Charter and the principles on friendly relations among States is at the heart of building and strengthening trust in the multilateral system. The primary objective of the Charter is creating trust that constitutes a conducive environment, in which justice and respect for the obligations of States can be maintained. Therefore, the primary course of action to attain that objective is for all States to adhere to all our undertakings under the Charter and international law.”
2023-05-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9315Resumption1 (2023) · source
“I would like to congratulate you, Madam, on assuming the Presidency of the Security Council for the month of May, and I thank you for organizing today’s open debate. I would like to recognize Mr. Ignazio Cassis, Head of the Federal Department for Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, who presided over this morning’s open debate (see S/PV.9315), and I thank all the briefers for their insights. I have the honour to share with the Council Ethiopia’s perspective on this important topic, focusing on the need to restore trust in peacebuilding efforts. The Code of Conduct for Inter-African Relations, adopted in Tunis in 1994, states that “every cooperation effort is doomed to failure in an environment devoid of stability, trust and security”. Clearly, restoring trust was also an inspiration for the Charter of the United Nations.”
2023-05-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9315Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Furthermore, considering the difficulties even the most stable democracies face in ensuring a sufficient level of women’s representation, it is necessary to adopt a constructive approach on the basis of the progressive realization of such goals. Finally, I would like to reiterate Ethiopia’s commitment to ensuring the full and effective participation and representation of women in peace processes, including conflict prevention, resolution and management and post-conflict reconstruction, as provided under our national laws and the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa.”
2023-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9276Resumption1 (2023) · source
“My second point relates to indigenous mechanisms. Indigenous institutions and conflict resolution mechanisms led by women have proven effective in transitioning communities out of conflicts. It is imperative that States give more emphasis in their policy formulation and allocation of human, institutional and financial resources to engendering local initiatives and women-led programmes. My third point relates to the need to embrace progressive realization. It is becoming a trend for countries emerging from crises to designate a quota for female representation in State machineries. In our subregion alone, three of Ethiopia’s neighbours have incorporated such quotas as part of their peace processes. The implementation of those commitments deserve the maximum support of the international community.”
2023-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9276Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Economic empowerment and equal opportunity are key in ensuring long-term equity and lasting peace. The participation of women and addressing all the encumbrances to their progress is a matter of rights and thus critical. Poverty reduction and the empowerment of women, including through concerted action against harmful practices, are necessary steps in unlocking the full potential of every community. Equal opportunity for women to participate in all State institutions and the private sector is also imperative. While national efforts are the centrepiece to achieving that objective, international cooperation should also align with national priorities. In that regard, we must take all measures necessary to prevent hindrances, including unilateral coercive measures, that curb the economic and employment opportunities of women.”
2023-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9276Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Apart from the overarching institutional and normative frameworks I have mentioned, the African Union issued the Continental Results Framework (CRF) for monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the women and peace and security agenda in Africa. The CRF for the period between 2018 and 2028 provides for 41 targets, categorized under the four pillars of prevention, protection, participation, and relief and recovery. The CRF presupposes the extensive policy and legal measures in place and the urgent need for concrete actions of implementation. It is against that backdrop that I will raise three main points that Ethiopia believes deserve greater emphasis if we are to realize our aspiration for the equal and meaningful participation of women. My first point has to do with women’s agency.”
2023-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9276Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Most notably, the African Union’s Agenda 2063, a road map for Africa’s socioeconomic and political development, provides for the meaningful participation and leadership of women towards silencing the guns, enhancing good governance, ensuring democracy, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law, and promoting a peaceful and secure Africa. The African Union has also recognized the Network of African Women in Conflict Prevention and Mediation, also known as FemWise-Africa, as part of the African Peace and Security Architecture, and is the first intergovernmental organization to appoint a Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security.”
2023-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9276Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Within the security and human rights framework of the African Union, we continue to attach great value to resolution 1325 (2000), the first Council resolution on women and peace and security. The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, also known as the Maputo Protocol, acknowledges and makes reference to resolution 1325 (2000). Furthermore, African human rights instruments, including on the rights of women and children, emphasize the value and protection needs of the family that are the foundation of every society. Those commitments have been incorporated into the post-conflict reconstruction and development policy, as well as the gender policy of the African Union.”
2023-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9276Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Let me begin by congratulating Mozambique for assuming the presidency of the Council for the month of March. I would also like to thank Mozambique for organizing this important open debate on women and peace and security. And I also thank all the briefers. The equal and meaningful participation of women is a cornerstone of lasting peace and stability. Sex-based discrimination and the disempowerment of women disrupt social cohesion and deprive our communities of the perspective, inputs and indispensable contributions of half of our population. Equal rights and the participation of women in times of peace, as well as during conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction efforts, are therefore extremely critical.”
2023-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9276Resumption1 (2023) · source
“I would like to underscore for the record that cooperation with Member States is critical for the effective protection of children in vulnerable situations, including conflict. Finally, I would like to reiterate Ethiopia’s commitment to the protection and well-being of children and to the fulfilment of its obligations under domestic and international law.”
2022-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9096Resumption1 (2022) · source
“The use of children as fighters and human shields for the declared objective of protecting the rapacious political interests of a terrorist group is ignored. The publications by Western media of gruesome pictures of children carrying weapons glorifying their sacrifice received no condemnation. Some United Nations specialized agencies could have revealed those broad- daylight violations instead of harbouring a United Nations official who on record condoned the use of child soldiers by a terrorist group. If the work of the Special Representative is to follow a credible and constructive path, the concerns of Member States must be respected and incorporated, and the process has to be fully transparent and consultative.”
2022-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9096Resumption1 (2022) · source
“In both the humanitarian and human rights sectors, the United Nations has been an instrumental partner, and we have the highest regard for that partnership. On the content of the report presented this morning, we thank Her Excellency Virginia Gamba for her efforts to be transparent in compiling the report. However, we would like to underscore that the report came out inaccurate and unbalanced despite her efforts to follow a constructive approach. Our request to be heard and to have the facts reflected went unaddressed, for no reason. We regret that approach, which will only undermine the efforts made by Member States. In the past two years, we have been flagging to the United Nations several signs of selectivity and partiality in the consideration of human rights issues.”
2022-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9096Resumption1 (2022) · source
“The Government of Ethiopia, in parallel with its law-enforcement operations, has made concerted efforts to ensure full humanitarian protection with a special focus on children in areas affected by instability. Owing to those efforts and cooperation with international partners, we are addressing the special nutrition, protection rights and needs of children. We have also applied a clear path for accountability for violations of rights, including those of children. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights conducted investigations and issued a joint report. Based on the accepted recommendations of that report, the Government took a series of measures to ensure accountability and redress.”
2022-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9096Resumption1 (2022) · source
“My country, Ethiopia, is a State party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict, as well as the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. In line with the prescriptions of those instruments, our laws and policies provide full protection for children based on specific and local circumstances. In the past two years, Ethiopia has been faced with extraordinary challenges owing to the terrorist attack waged against the Ethiopian National Defense Force and the continued targeted and orchestrated attacks against civilians in various parts of the country. Humanitarian challenges have been exacerbated as a result of the extreme drought that we continue to face in some parts of the country.”
2022-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9096Resumption1 (2022) · source
“I would like to congratulate you, Sir, on your successful presidency of the Security Council for the month of July. I would also like to acknowledge the attendance of the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, His Excellency Ambassador Fernando Simas, and thank him for making time to appear in person and lead the discussion on this important agenda item. I also thank Special Representative Virginia Gamba de Potgieter, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell and Mr. Patrick Kumi for their briefings this morning. Children are the first to suffer and the primary victims of the devastating short- and long-term impacts of any conflict. Cognizant of that gruesome fact, Member States have adopted several binding legal instruments on the protection of children in armed conflict.”
2022-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9096Resumption1 (2022) · source
“That should be coupled with our collective efforts in committing to address the effects of climate change, which is causing huge calamities. Providing the necessary support to African countries in their efforts to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change is therefore extremely crucial. We believe that the debate on food security at the level of the Security Council should take those important components into account if we are to enhance the impact and achieve results in tackling food insecurity.”
2022-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9036Resumption1 (2022) · source
“With concerted national and regional efforts, supplemented by international support to enhance our ongoing initiatives to invest in and utilize our natural resources for the benefit of our people, we can achieve that lofty objective. Thirdly, fair international trade practices that yield sustainable development and encourage African countries to enhance their domestic food production is critical. We believe that increasing productivity and production on the continent and strengthening intracontinental trade is imperative to make a dent in addressing food insecurity. In conclusion, while we should scale up our efforts towards the resolution of conflicts, the timely and adequate provision of humanitarian support to those in need of food assistance is also critical.”
2022-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9036Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Accelerating economic growth and sustainable development and addressing the challenges surrounding the agricultural sector is extremely critical to overcome poverty and food insecurity and hence achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Secondly, it goes without saying that we cannot bring about sustainable peace without development and development without sustainable peace. Tapping into our potential through economic transformation is paramount to ensure sustainable development. Africa is a continent that is endowed with a vast amount of land, water and labour, the potential of which, if harnessed adequately and fully, can feed not only its population but also the world.”
2022-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9036Resumption1 (2022) · source
“We are confident that our tireless efforts and unwavering commitment to achieve our national development objectives will enable us to attain those goals. But on a much larger scale, we believe that the situation calls for concerted action towards improving production and productivity; rectifying the prevailing unbalanced international trade system; providing urgent debt relief, restructuring and cancellation; eradicating poverty; and fostering resilience to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. It is against that backdrop that I would like to underscore the following three brief points. First, while we recognize conflict as one of the factors contributing to food insecurity, we believe that it is the primary manifestation of extreme poverty and underdevelopment.”
2022-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9036Resumption1 (2022) · source
“In that regard, the peaceful resolution of disputes and addressing the underlying causes of conflicts is imperative. If we are to provide a sustainable solution to food insecurity, the risk of global trade recovery and increases in the price of food should not be confused with the more embedded problem of food insecurity. We raise this important distinction in order to encourage a proper look at the broad spectrum of this grave problem by separating it from spontaneous incidents. With the rise in the price of food, which is seriously straining our national capacity, we are compelled to engage in serious introspection as to its impact on our own national efforts to ensure self-sufficiency and minimize import dependency.”
2022-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9036Resumption1 (2022) · source
“We thank the United States presidency of the Security Council for this month for having organized this open debate. We also thank Mr. David Beasley of the World Food Programme; Mr. Qu Dongyu of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; and Ms. Sara Menker of Gro Intelligence for their insightful briefings this morning. Food insecurity is one of the biggest challenges to humankind and requires collective efforts to tackle its clear and preventable causes. Conflict undermines food security and exacerbates vulnerabilities, thereby curtailing the ability of people to have access to sufficient food for an active and healthy life. As underscored by many delegations, peace and security is a necessary condition to alleviate that challenge.”
2022-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9036Resumption1 (2022) · source
“We trust in the responsible approach of the members of the Council to make sure that the work of this principal organ does not undermine national efforts to address human rights concerns. It is also particularly important that no aspect of the Council’s engagement interferes with the credibility of the work of other organs of the United Nations. In conclusion, I would like to reassure the Council that Ethiopia maintains a zero-tolerance policy on sexual violence. No allegation will go unheard or uninvestigated or — when suspects are found guilty by due process of the law — unpunished. Under the criminal laws of Ethiopia, sexual violence is a crime with no statute of limitations. Such crimes are also not eligible for pardon or amnesty. Perpetrators are and will be held accountable and punished with the full force of the law.”
2022-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9016Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Our experience has shown that national mechanisms are the most effective in reinstating justice. In that connection, we must emphasize the need to carefully approach conflict-related human rights violations. We have seen that human rights are politicized and used against countries like mine. In the past 15 months, the level of hostility and vilification against Ethiopia has been driven not by human rights concerns but by a short-sighted and politically motivated agenda. We therefore call for extreme care and caution to ensure authenticity. The politicization of human rights, double standards and selectivity lead only to irreparable damage to the credibility of the international system and undermine collective efforts to promote and protect human rights.”
2022-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9016Resumption1 (2022) · source
“On 11 March, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission published its investigation of those gross violations of rights, including mass murders and sexual violence. In addition, women in Tigray continue to experience violence, with no recourse for justice or redress. It should also be noted that close to 12,000 convicts and detainees were released from all prisons across the Tigray region by the criminal group, which has exacerbated the situation. Nonetheless, we seek to reiterate the cardinal principle that Governments have the primary responsibility to ensure respect for and the protection and fulfilment of human rights. In that regard, the capacity of national enforcement and judicial institutions is indispensable for ensuring accountability and redress for human rights violations.”
2022-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9016Resumption1 (2022) · source
“On the one hand, they disproved, by evidence, the accusations against the Ethiopian National Defence Force, including the systematic commission of sexual violence. On the other hand, they provided recommendations for accountability, redress and prevention. To date, 30 security officials have been charged, 10 of whom were convicted and sentenced to prison terms ranging from 10 to 25 years. An interministerial task force was also established to follow up the implementation of the accepted recommendations of the joint report. Since June 2021, women and children in Afar and Amhara regions have endured unimaginable suffering and systematic sexual violence at the hands of the criminal group.”
2022-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9016Resumption1 (2022) · source
“In addition, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has published reports on alleged human rights violations that required the adoption of measures of accountability and redress. Apart from its own investigations, on 24 March 2021 the Commission concluded an agreement with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to conduct joint investigations. The Government allowed full access, at the request of those two institutions, and when the investigation report was published in November last year, the Government, despite its reservations about the report, recognized it as an important input to measures of accountability and prevention. All the investigation mechanisms I have mentioned unearthed substantial information on alleged violations.”
2022-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9016Resumption1 (2022) · source
“During and after the adoption of law enforcement measures and by the time the aggression had expanded to the adjacent regions, women and children had fallen victim to the most atrocious forms of violations, which were systematically carried out by the Tigray’s People’s Liberation Front. The Government of Ethiopia takes all allegations on violations of human rights seriously and with a high level of responsibility and due diligence. Accordingly, with regard to the allegations, in the aftermath of the November attack three layers of investigations have been established, including investigation by the Ethiopian Federal Police, the Joint Committee of Inquiry, the Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs, the Attorney General and the Minister of Defence, as well as investigation by regional police forces.”
2022-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9016Resumption1 (2022) · source
“My delegation requested the right to participate in today’s open debate to provide some information on my country and briefly share the measures taken and mechanisms put in place to address crimes of sexual violence against women. There will be a special focus on the challenges we have faced since the treasonous attack against our National Defence Force on 4 November 2020. That attack brought about an unprecedented security challenge, which has seriously affected the lives and the overall well-being of our people, especially those in Afar, Amhara and Tigray states.”
2022-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9016Resumption1 (2022) · source