The United Kingdom welcomes the adoption of resolution 2351 (2017), which renews the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and provides clear direction for the crucial work of MINURSO over the next 12 months. I particularly want to thank the United Stat…
The Charter of the United Nations defines the supreme task of the Security Council as the maintenance of international peace and security. There could hardly be a clearer threat to world peace more demanding of a unified response than the activities of one Member of the United Nations, and that is N…
I thank Mr. O’Brien for his important briefing today and for all of his sterling work.
I would like to begin as Mr. O’Brien did by wholeheartedly condemning the terrorist attack on desperate civilians as they were being evacuated as part of the four towns agreement. It is utterly tragic that over 1…
I would like to start by complimenting Mr. Shearer and the entire United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) team for the steps that they have taken to enhance the Mission’s ability to fulfil its mandate, despite the hostile circumstances in which it operates.
The situation in South Sudan is di…
I thank Nickolay Mladenov very much for his briefing. As he explained, peace for many people in the Middle East remains a remote prospect and a distant memory.
Two weeks ago, we saw a horrific chemical-weapons attack on Khan Shaykhun in Syria. Environmental samples from the sites have tested positi…
One year after Member States agreed to the twin sustaining peace resolutions (General Assembly resolution 70/262 and Security Council resolution 2282 (2016)), we have seen progress in how both the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) and the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) can assist in their implementation, and…
I thank Mr. Kobler and Mr. Skoog for their briefings.
At the outset, I ensure Mr. Kobler of the United Kingdom’s full support of his work and reiterate its commitment to the Libyan Political Agreement — the sole framework for a political solution to the situation in Libya. Sadly, as he has made cle…
I wish to thank you, Madam President, for having called this important debate. I welcome the clear Security Council support for discussing this issue. I also thank the Secretary- General for his briefing and strongly agree with all of it.
The United Kingdom is committed to the promotion and protect…
The United Kingdom welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2350 (2017). It is a good demonstration of how the United Nations should be sustaining peace by selecting the right tools at the right time for the right ends. As we argued on Tuesday, the Haiti of today is not the Haiti of 2004. It is…
I wish to thank you, Madam President, for having convened this meeting and for maintaining the Security Council’s focus on preventing conflict in Africa. I also thank Kairat for his comprehensive briefing as Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 751 (1992) and 1907 (2009) c…
I thank you, Madam President, for convening today’s important meeting and for maintaining the Security Council’s focus on conflict prevention in Africa. I join others in thanking Special Envoy Said Djinnit for his briefing, but also for the critical role that he has played in keeping preventive dipl…
The conflict that has ravaged Syria has lasted for more than six years. For the people of Syria, that must feel like an eternity. Here in this Chamber, we get only so many moments to act, only so many moments to show them that hope is not dead, chances for the world to unite in condemnation of war c…
I would like to thank Staffan de Mistura for his briefing and his unrelenting efforts to secure a political solution to the conflict in Syria. He has our continued full support.
Despite his efforts and those of the Security Council and the international community, the people of Syria have been deni…
The United Kingdom is honoured to present, on behalf of our other penholders — the United States and France — a draft resolution condemning the events of 4 April in the Khan Shaykhun area of southern Idlib in the Syrian Arab Republic. The events in Khan Shaykhun were the worst of human acts. They ha…
I would like to thank Special Representative Honoré for her briefing this morning, and to join others in expressing my condolences to Egypt for the terrible attacks that took place there on Palm Sunday. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.
At the outset, I think it is important to point to the p…
I deeply regret that the previous speaker showed more outrage against the United States than against the Al-Assad regime, which on Tuesday deliberately dropped chemical weapons killing over 100 men, women and children in the most barbaric fashion.
More than three and a half years ago, the Syrian re…
It is good to see His Excellency the Foreign Minister Diop of Mali joining us in New York once more. We look forward to hearing from him, given how much is at stake in his country.
The death of a French soldier yesterday is another stark reminder of how dangerous this environment is, and I pay trib…
I warmly welcome the Secretary-General’s briefing. I agree with his nine-point plan for reform and with every other word that he said.
I would like to pay tribute to the brave men and women serving in United Nations peacekeeping missions. For many people around the world, they are all that stands b…
On 28 February (see S/PV.7893), I asked a simple question of the Security Council, namely, would we take action against those who used chemical weapons in Syria? We had a chance that day to adopt a draft resolution (S/2017/172) that would have done exactly that — a draft resolution that would have t…
I thank Mr. Arnault for his briefing, his recent report (S/2017/252) and the hard work he has done on our collective behalf.
At the outset, I would like to express my condolences to Ms. Mejía Vélez following the tragic loss of life in the Mocoa landslides at the weekend. It was such an awful traged…
