YouSaid · the spoken record

Zerrougui

lines on the record: 245
first: 2012-09-19
most recent: 2020-12-07
sittings or episodes: 19
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

“Another issue that has recently been a focus in the field, as the Secretary-General mentioned a moment ago, is the sexual abuse and exploitation of children by peacekeepers or foreign troops. Sexual abuse committed by those entrusted with protecting a population is particularly egregious. It is our collective responsibility to do our utmost to prevent such behaviour and to ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable in all contexts. The issue of deprivation of liberty is another concern, with security forces detaining children for their actual or alleged association with armed groups. It is equally worrying that children are being treated primarily as security threats rather than as victims.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“Unfortunately, these actions seem to have little or no impact on stopping ongoing violations. More must be done, and I call on the international community, especially the African Union and Security Council members, to take concerted action to protect these children, who have grown up surrounded by violence and insecurity. Yemen is also in our thoughts daily, as we watch the violence in the media and receive reports of children being killed in aerial bombings, and of many others being recruited. Since late March, as UNICEF reported a few weeks ago, at least 135 children have been killed and 260 injured. The fighting has destroyed schools and hospitals. Cases of recruitment of children and their use in conflict have also risen dramatically, with all parties to the conflict on the ground recruiting children in large numbers.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“From South Sudan, I am receiving testimony that children - some as young as four months old - are being targeted in Unity state based on their ethnicity. Eyewitnesses and survivors said that boys were killed and civilians thrown into burning houses. In one instance, young boys who did not manage to escape an attack on their village were reportedly tied together with one rope and their throats were slit. Girls are also being subjected to rape by both individuals and groups. Those alarming reports were just received, and those acts have occurred within the last six weeks. Such heinous crimes fly in the face of the numerous commitments by all parties in South Sudan to stop violations against children. As the Council knows, the Council's Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict adopted strong conclusions on South Sudan in May.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“We saw important steps taken in 2014 in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. One can see in the Secretary-General's report that just one case of recruitment by Government forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was documented in 2014, and we have not received any reports so far in 2015. That represents tangible progress as compared to the situation just a few years ago. I will soon travel to Myanmar to support the Government and the United Nations country team in their efforts to intensify and implement priorities in their joint action plan. While progress is indeed being made with several Ccmpaign countries, sadly, the crises in South Sudan and Yemen have severely hampered our efforts in those countries. Solid progress had been made, but has now been largely lost.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“I am pleased to report that following this meeting, they issued a joint statement on the situation of children in Darfur, pledging to reinforce efforts to prevent grave violations against children. This concerted engagement also requires the support of Member States to help facilitate contact with these groups and allow independent access so that discussions can be held. It is in the interests of all involved that these groups be brought into a process that will expedite the end of violations against children and prevent future ones. As Council members know, last year we launched the "Children, Not Soldiers" campaign. I am pleased to report that we continue to make progress towards ending and preventing the recruitment and use of children by national security forces by 2016.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“This is another reminder of the significant resources needed to appropriately receive and reintegrate such a large number of children. More recently, at the invitation of the Government of Colombia, I met in Cuba in May with a delegation of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia - Ejercito del Pueblo (FARC-EP). They were open to discussing international standards and ways in which they could make progress to ensure the protection of children. In that connection, I welcome the announcement made earlier this week regarding the release of children under the age of 15, and I look forward to seeing further progress to ensure the separation of all children. Later in May, I met with the leaders of three armed groups from Darfur to stress the importance of child protection.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“The majority of the parties in the annexes to the Secretary-General's report are non-State armed groups, and I have been working to engage a wide range of these groups to secure commitments to stop violations and protect children. As the Secretary-General's report notes, in the Central African Republic I supported efforts of the United Nations mediation team to include child protection provisions in the Brazzaville ceasefire agreement, signed in July of last year. This progress was further consolidated in the context of the Bangui Forum in May of this year. Following a commitment signed by 10 armed groups on the margins of the Forum, more than 300 children have been released from the anti-Balaka and the ex-Se'leka, and thousands more are expected to be released in the coming months.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“I echo the Secretary-General's call in his report to expand the tools available to address this important issue, including adding abduction as a trigger violation for listing a party in the annexes of the Secretary-General's annual report. We must also tailor integration programmes for those who undergo the traumatizing experience of abduction and associated Violence and ensure that international support is there to fund these programmes. As discussed extensively at the open debate in March (see S/PV.7414), engagement with non-State armed groups is another Vital area of focus to improve the situation of children in conflict.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“We note that responses to the threat posed by extreme Violence, by both militia groups and in some cases Government forces, have also raised child protection concerns. I am gratified to see that the Council routinely calls on States to ensure that measures taken to counter these group comply with all their obligations under international law, in particular international human rights law and refugee and humanitarian law. As the Secretary-General mentions in his report, the abduction of children in large numbers was a growing and prevalent feature of conflict in 2014. The response to abductions needs to be scaled up to address this increasing trend, including through early-warning mechanisms.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“Appalling impacts on the welfare of children were felt especially in Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan, the State of Palestine, Syria and Yemen. The report before the Council (S/2015/409) documents sharp increases in the numbers of children killed in 2014, and an equally shocking number of injured. That should not just shock us, it is a call to action to all of us. I will use the opportunity today to outline the challenges as I see them and ways in which we can address obstacles and assist these children. First, violent extremist groups and their horrific crimes captured much of the world's attention in 2014. We saw children forced to become suicide bombers and human shields, and we saw the public execution of many others. Others were required to witness and actively participate in public acts of brutality.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“Ms. Zerrougui: I would first like to take this opportunity to thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Malaysia for organizing this debate on children and armed conflict. Today's debate builds on the important discussion we had on 25 March (see S/PV.7414), presided over by France, dedicated to child victims of non-State armed groups. As the Secretary-General has just stated, 2014 was a devastating year for children living in conflict areas. A number of conflicts intensified in 2015, imposing terrible short- and long-term consequences on many children caught up in the violence. An estimated 230 million children now live in countries and areas affected by conflict. More than 5 million refugee children have also been forced to flee from countries where the monitoring and reporting mechanism is in place.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“That is why we, and the world with us, expect so much of the Security Council, and why the Council can, and must, place children at the centre of each and every peace and security action it takes - from peace agreements to mission mandates to accountability for crimes. I count on the Council. But, more important, the child victims around the world count on the Security Council.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“With the escalation of conflict and its impact on children across the Arab world, I have sought to strengthen ties with the League of Arab States, and we are developing a cooperation agreement to enhance our common work. My Office also continues to engage with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to further mainstream child-protection standards among the forces of its member States and partners. No one in the Chamber today who has read the Secretary-General's report and heard of the latest developments in the conflicts before the Council can consider children as a "collateral" issue. Indeed, we now know that, in a large majority of conflicts around the world, children are targeted and used deliberately. Conflict confronts them in their homes, at school, in hospitals and when they seek to run away.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“With that guidance, our field practitioners will be better equipped to monitor and report, engage in advocacy and work with parties to conflict to end and prevent attacks on schools and hospitals. A key strategy of my mandate as Special Representative has been to deepen my engagement with regional organizations. My Office has a longstanding relationship and has developed a series of guidelines in conjunction with the European Union. I have continued to actively engage with the African Union. I am happy to note that, in addition to the partnership agreement signed last year, the African Union has just announced the establishment of a special envoy on children and armed conflict.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“Although the primordial aim of a cessation of hostilities must be a swift end to fighting - and children are often the first to profit - the more substantial stages of peace negotiations can be challenging when it comes to grave child-rights violations. We must do more to include special provisions in peace agreements for children affected by conflict. Today's armed conflicts increasingly involve schools and health facilities in the direct line of fire. The Security Council recognizes that important aspect in its resolutions 1998 (2011) and 2143 (2014). To implement the tools provided to us in those resolutions, I have jointly published the Guidance Note on Attacks against Schools and Hospitals, together with UNICEF, UNESCO and the World Health Organization.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“We are witnessing progress with non-State armed groups in Darfur, and I am hopeful that we will be able to conclude the compliance activities of our action plan with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the Philippines as soon as possible. I am encouraged by such progress. The Council's constant encouragement in that regard is a boon to our efforts. I cannot overemphasize the importance for specific attention on the plight of child victims of armed conflict in peace processes and agreements. Children are the future of a society. Longstanding peace will never be achieved without giving children the means, skills and education to rebuild a society and institutions torn by armed conflict.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“During my recent visit, Somali authorities showed strong will to move forward on the implementation of the country's action plan. Important progress continues in Afghanistan, Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The vast majority of the parties listed are non-State actors. To date we have concluded an equal number of action plans with State and non-State actors. Non-State actors continue to approach my Office and our partners on the ground to conclude action plans to end violations against children. A recent example is the commitment to end child recruitment communicated to my Office and to the Council by the Free Syrian Army in Syria. Riek Machar of the Sudan People's Liberation Army in Opposition also signed a commitment with me in May.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“I am particularly happy to welcome Forest Whitaker, UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, who has joined our efforts under the Children, Not Soldiers campaign. I want to extend my gratitude to all. The Government of Chad, with the full support of the United Nations, has already fulfilled all the requirements under its action plan to end and prevent the recruitment of children in its armed forces, and has been delisted from this year's report of the Secretary- General. In May, Yemen became the seventh country concerned by the campaign to sign an action plan with the United Nations. During my visit in June, South Sudan recommitted to the action plan signed in June 2012. Progress was also achieved in Somalia.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“Of course, the implementation of those action plans would not be possible without the efforts of all our partners, including UNICEF, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Political Affairs DPA and their child-protection advisers on the ground. Six months ago, I launched the global campaign Children, Not Soldiers, jointly with UNICEF, to work towards the goal of no children in Government forces by the end of 2016. In that time, the campaign has received an almost overwhelming amount of support, first and foremost from the countries concerned and from the Security Council, which endorsed the campaign in resolution 2143 (2014), but also from regional organizations, non-governmental organization partners and Member States.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“We must make better use of the tools at our disposal in ensuring that perpetrators face prosecution - by including them in sanctions regimes, by redoubling our efforts in enhancing national capacities in the judicial sector and by strengthening the framework of international justice, including referring perpetrators to the International Criminal Court. To raise attention and address those harrowing challenges facing children in conflict, the Security Council has given my Office, the broader United Nations, concerned Governments and partners the tools to reduce violations or end them entirely. Chief among those tools are Security Council-mandated action plans with State and non-State parties that recruit and use children, kill or maim children, attack schools and hospitals or perpetrate sexual violence against children.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“The intensification of activities by armed groups gives rise to military responses that sometimes mirror the tactics of the groups being fought, including the use of methods of warfare with little or no respect for civilians. We must remind Governments, which are sometimes under extreme pressure, of their obligations under international humanitarian law in the conduct of operations and under international human rights law at all times. The fight against impunity remains one of the key aspects of our efforts not only to react to but to prevent grave violations against children.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“The international community must put its weight behind addressing the root causes of this conflict. As the Secretary-General himself has said, we cannot afford to have another cycle of violence. People in the State of Palestine and Israel deserve a durable peace that respects the rights of all parties and places high value on the rights of the children. Many other situations witnessed grave violations against children in 2013 and face similar challenges today. Instability and rising tensions in Libya, Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Mali and South Sudan continue to threaten the well-being of the weakest and require our outmost efforts to protect them.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“There are victims on both sides, and I am equally disheartened by the killing of one Israeli child and the injury of six others since the beginning of July as a result of rockets fired by Hamas. The indiscriminate firing of rockets against civilian areas also resulted in the damage ofthree schools in Israel. In addition, the use of three vacant UNRWA schools by Palestinian armed groups as weapons stores in Gaza is unacceptable. We cannot afford impunity in the face of such grave violations of international law, which in some cases may amount to war crimes. The events in Gaza must be thoroughly investigated and identified perpetrators from all parties to the conflict must be held accountable. I cannot stress enough the urgent need to work towards a lasting peace. A ceasefire is only a temporary measure, and we have been here before.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“At least 244 schools, including 75 schools belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), have been shelled by Israel's armed forces, and one school was used as a military base by the Israel Defense Forces. As the school year has started and 110,000 people remain displaced, many in school facilities, access to education for the children of Gaza is severely affected and will remain limited for the foreseeable future. To add to this tragedy, medical personnel were also killed during the shelling, and half of Gaza's hospitals were damaged, preventing children from obtaining urgent medical care.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“I look forward to the Government's announced investigation into these incidents, as perpetrators, no matter who they are, must be held accountable for their acts. I would be remiss ifI did not address the horrific toll that the conflict in Gaza has taken on children. We have seen intense fighting that has far exceeded the casualties of the previous escalations in 2008-2009 and 2012, combined. I am horrified by the fact that, since the beginning of July, more than 500 Palestinian children have been killed and at least 3,106 injured or maimed by Israeli forces - two-thirds of them under the age of 12 and one-third have been permanently disabled.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“Targeted attacks on schools, students and teachers by Boko Haram led to the deaths of at least 100 schoolchildren and 70 teachers in 2013. Health workers, including polio vaccinators in the north-east, have also been targeted. The abduction of the girls from Chibok in April horrified the entire world. Over 200 girls are still in the hands of Boko Haram, and I call on the Government of Nigeria and its partners to take any and all measures to bring the girls back. We are now receiving reports that Boko Haram has recruited and used boys and girls as young as 12 years of age in its attacks, including in raids on schools. I am also worried by reports about grave violations perpetrated by armed elements allegedly associated with Government forces in northern Nigeria.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“Other children are used as suicide bombers. Sadly, we have also received reports of militias allied to the Iraqi Government using children in the fight against ISIL, and the whereabouts of numerous children jailed on security charges by the Government are currently unknown following militias storming these facilities in July. ISIL is not the only perpetrator of child rights violations; rather, it is part of a broader regional challenge that includes Boko Haram's expansion of its area of operation. Boko Haram has been listed this year for the killing and maiming of children and attacks on schools and hospitals, and the United Nations is currently setting up the monitoring and reporting mechanism to better gather and verify information concerning grave violations against children in northern Nigeria.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“I am appalled by the total disregard for human life shown by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) during its rapid expansion within Syria and from Syria into Iraq. The images that we see through media reporting of indiscriminate and brutal killings of civilians, including children, leave us speechless and horrified. Although the highly unstable security situation in the region slows our monitoring, we know that up to 700 children have been killed or maimed in Iraq since the beginning of the year, including in summary executions. I remain deeply concerned over recent reports of ISIL targeting minorities, including children and women, in the growing area under its control in Syria and Iraq. ISIL has tasked boys as young as 13 to carry weapons, guard strategic locations or arrest civilians.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“Ms. Zerrougui: I come to the Council today with a heavy heart for the children affected by armed conflict around the world. Although we continue to see progress in better protecting children, new crises are rapidly overshadowing these gains. Some of these crises are covered in the report before the Council (S/2014/339), while others have begun or intensified since the report was submitted. The Council has been briefed on Syria repeatedly, and the situation there remains grave for children. Members have also recently travelled to South Sudan and Somalia and witnessed for themselves the conditions there. Children in these and other conflicts are paying a high price. The events that are unfolding in Iraq have led to increased grave violations committed by all parties to the conflict.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“We must not leave them in despair. Today we know that measures can be taken successfully to end and prevent grave violations against children in armed conflict. Dialogue with non-State actors, engagement with Governments, capactiy-building on all levels and the mainstreaming of our agenda into all aspects of peace and security continue. Those activities would be unthinkable without the framework developed by the Security Council in the past years. Hundreds of thousands of children have their eyes upon the Council as it continues to lead the way in protecting children from armed conflict.”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“Almost weekly, task force members approach my Office and plead for the continued support in advocacy for enhanced capacity in child protection. We must be able to respond to their pleas with adequate resources and innovative models drawing from past experiences. It is also important to mainstream child protection into peacekeeping and special political missions through the predeployment training of troops. I cannot stress enough in this regard the importance of knowing that the Security Council stands behind this. We owe it to the children affected by armed conflict and to the dedicated men and women putting their own lives at risk to ensure that the voices of these children reach our ears. I began my statement with a grim picture in three situations of conflcit. But children face similar atrocitiets in many other conflicts.”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“As members know, military use puts schools and school children in danger. We would like to see schools not become potential battlefields. Seeking ways to better prevent attacks on schools calls for efforts to incrementally prevent their military use by parties to conflict. My Office and all other child protection actors at the United Nations Headquarters level - including UNICEF, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Political Affairs - will continue to stand ready and support the task forces with all means possible. However, it is impossible to monitor and report on violations against children in conflict and to address such violations appropriately without the necessary capacity on the ground.”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“By taking the lead with UNICEF in drafting a guidance on how to monitor and report attacks on schools and hospitals, threats and attacks against education and health-care-related personnel, and the military use of schools, we have reached out to specialized United Nations agencies and NGOs that in turn will adopt the children and armed conflict agenda in their own programmes and projects. New stakeholders are thereby won for our cause, and we learn to understand how our cause can strengthen theirs. The guidance on the implementation of resolution 1998 (2011), which we intend to launch in the coming weeks, will mark another important step forward. I am heartened by the fact that the Security Council has strengthened the language on the military use of schools in today's draft resolution.”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“In the course of the campaign, we have been able to benefit from the expertise of a variety of Governments, United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and child protection experts, giving us a better understanding of challenges and solutions alike. This enables us to even better protect children in unique cultural, economic, political and social contexts. New partnerships and the strengthening of existing ones also lie at the heart of the implementation of resolution 1998 (2011).”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“Road maps are set up jointly with the concerned Government to tackle priority issues and are based on a joint assessment ofachievements made and existing gaps in the implementation of agreed action plans. In Chad, the road map was agreed last year and is the basis for action taken. In Afghanistan, the road map has already been drafted jointly with Government representatives. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, too, we are close to the establishment of such a document. The sustained implementation of commitments agreed upon by the signatories to the action plan will ultimately lead to the better protection of children and the delisting of the concerned party from the annexes of the Secretary- General's annual report.”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“It is my firm belief that this goal is an achievable one. Eight national Government forces remain on the Secretary- General's list for this violation. Yesterday, I had the honour to welcome representatives from each of these Governments at the launch event for the "Children, not soldiers" campaign. The commitment shown by the Member States concerned is a powerful message to the international community and parties to conflict - State and non-State actors alike - all over the world. It is time to make child soldiers history. I want to stress here that the "Children, not soldiers" campaign is not only a joint effort of my Office and UNICEF; it must be ajoint effort of all of us who have gathered here today. We have already begun to establish road maps to expedite the implementation of action plans with parties listed.”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“The Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict has adopted a number of conclusions over the past year, urging parties to conflict to end and prevent grave violations and calling for country-specific action. The Working Group has also visited Myanmar to assess the situation and advocate for the plight of children. The Security Council has continued to mainstream the children and armed conflict issue into both thematic and country-specific agendas, addressing new trends when and where they arise with new and innovative measures. I hope that the Council will do so again if the draft resolution before it is adopted. I dearly welcome the endorsement of the "Children, not soldiers" campaign. It was before the Council that I first expressed my intent to work towards child-free Government armed forces by the end of 2016.”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“While humanitarian access in limited areas is a glimmer of hope in the darkest of times, the hardships of children have barely improved. We cannot afford a lost generation in Syria. These first two months of 2014 have revealed once again that we must not rely on hope when children suffering in armed conflict are calling upon us to be heard. Only action and concrete measures will ultimately make a difference; only action and concrete measures will allow us to look back at 2014 and conclude that we, together, had made a difference for children this year. Since the creation of my mandate by the General Assembly, we have seen such concrete action.”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“Resources are too limited to address the challenge of providing assistance and protection to thousands of children, including those recruited and used by parties to the conflict. I hope that the Security Council will address this situation with a robust response providing the actors on the ground with the necessary means and capacity. In Syria, despite all the efforts of various actors, armed violation has intensified. The killing and maiming of children and attacks on schools and hospitals continue unabated. Children are recruited and used by various armed groups, and are often lured into battle, where they are among the first to die. Reports of organized sexual Violence as a tactic of humiliation persist.”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“Not only have tens of thousands of children been displaced, deprived of education and separated from their families and social networks, they have also recruited, used in horrific fighting, maimed or killed or forced to kill and maim. Initial reports I have received on raids on hospitals, including summary executions of the sick and old, leave me without words. When we think of South Sudan, we have to bear in mind that more than half of the population are children. A whole generation that should be entrusted with building a new nation is about to be deprived of a fair chance to do so. As the Security Council was briefed in-depth yesterday (see S/PV.7128), the situation in the Central African Republic remains tragic. Its impact on children continues to be devastating.”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“Ms. Zerrougui: Let me start by thanking the delegation of Luxembourg for hosting this open debate during its presidency and for its invaluable work as Chair of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict. This open debate comes at a crucial time when there is an upsurge in conflict in many places around the world. Roughly two months have passed in the year 2014. Taking stock of what this year has brought for children so far yields a dire conclusion. In South Sudan, a new nation's horizon darkened in December 2013. Even today we have not yet grasped the extent of the grave violations against children committed in the renewed violence.”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“Today's political commitment and mobilization of the international community to end the crisis in the Central African Republic must be swiftly translated into adequate responses to protect civilians, provide emergency assistance to the most vulnerable, and accompany the transition towards the stabilization of the country.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source
“I also welcome the appointment by the Human Rights Council of the Independent Expert Marie-Therese Keita Bocoum, and I look forward to working closely with all mandate-holders to ensure complementarities in our work. This crisis has been looming for over a year, and we have run out of time to prevent the violence from escalating. Our only option today is to scale up our response with robust, immediate and urgent actions. I am here today to plead for the Council's continued attention to the crisis in which the Central African Republic has plunged. It is my hope that the Council will unite to step up and sustain its engagement, with the support of the African Union and States of the region.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source
“We need to send a stronger signal to the perpetrators of these atrocious crimes that they will be held to account. The international community should spare no effort and use all the tools at its disposal. It is crucial to assist the transitional authorities to restore law enforcement and establish a judicial response to the ongoing violations. This is essential to deterring further violence and starting to re-establish trust among communities. I strongly welcome the imminent establishment of a commission of inquiry, as well as the Council's intention to adopt targeted measures against perpetrators of violations against children.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source
“First, it cannot happen in a vacuum but must be part of a comprehensive and holistic disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) process. Secondly, the current United Nations civilian capacity remains all too limited and must be strengthened urgently to confront the ongoing situation, as well as the challenges of the DDR process. Child protection actors need adequate human and financial resources to provide the needed reintegration assistance. At the same time, the sustained support and cooperation of the military forces on the ground are key to ensuring children's security and continued protection. As recent experience in the Central African Republic shows, children formerly associated with armed forces and groups are especially vulnerable to rerecruitment and retaliatory violence.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source
“That is the result of the dialogue between United Nations representatives and the transitional authorities to allow child protection actors unimpeded access to military and cantonment sites. The former head of the transition reiterated that commitment to me during our visit, and it is my hope that that engagement will continue in the new phase of the transitional process. I am encouraged by the recent election of Ms. Catherine Samba-Panza as Head of the Transition in the Central African Republic, and Ijoin her in urging all parties to immediately stop the violence. The process of separating and reintegrating children associated with armed forces and groups in the Central African Republic will not be an easy task.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source
“The rapid strengthening of BINUCA and the deployment of MISCA's civilian component will be key to ensuring adequate human rights monitoring and protection expertise. We must urgently ensure better coordination among all actors on the ground, including through civil-military liaisons. We should optimize existing resources in Bangui and scale up capacity in the provinces where military deployment and the presence of humanitarian actors remains too limited. On a positive note, on 6 January the process of identifying and separating children started at five ex-Seleka cantonment sites. On 17 January, 23 children were released in Bangui and taken to a UNICEF- supported transit and orientation centre.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source
“Our visit coincided with the transfer of authority from the Mission for the Consolidation of Peace in the Central African Republic to the African-led International Support Mission in the Central African Republic (MISCA) and with the initial phase of the deployment of Operation Sangaris. While the presence of African Union and French forces is deterring ongoing violence, too many civilians remain without basic protection, as crimes are being committed daily in Bangui and in the provinces. I am hopeful that the commendable efforts of the African Union, the deployment of additional troops by the European Union, together with the evolution of the political landscape, will contribute to re-establishing law and order.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source
“Recent estimates indicate that as many as 6,000 children could be currently associated with armed forces and groups. During my visit, I witnessed youths who had taken up arms, having been manipulated by both sides and divided along religious lines. They have become both victims and perpetrators of the ongoing sectarian violence. The lack of security has resulted in the displacement over the course of 2013 of nearly halfa million children across the country. Those children are in urgent need of protection and assistance and are at a greater risk of suffering violations. Schools and hospitals have been attacked and looted. Medical personnel have been repeatedly threatened and brutally targeted everywhere in the country, leaving an already fragile social infrastructure and basic services in complete disarray.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source
“Yet, today, the country is trapped in a spiral of vengeance that has destroyed the social fabric and undermined trust among communities for generations to come. I have witnessed members of those communities pitted against one another, fleeing and seeking refuge in churches and mosques. They are living in fear of being attacked. They are even afraid of burying their dead. Entire villages have been burned and are burning down as we speak in this Chamber today. The impact of the conflict on children has been dramatic, with unprecedented levels of brutality. Children have been directly attacked, maimed, killed and beheaded in Bangui, Bouar, Bossangoa and Bozoum. For over a year, ex-Seleka combatants and, more recently, anti-Balaka militias, have actively recruited children and forced them to commit atrocities.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source