Allow me to begin by expressing my condolences to the representative of the Russian Federation for the terrorist attack in Saint Petersburg yesterday that caused such senseless loss of life.
I should also like to wish you, Madam President, all the very best for your month in the hot seat, and thank…
I will remember February 2017 as the month in which my friend and colleague, Vitaly Churkin, passed away. I wish to once
again pass on my condolences to the Russian team and to his family.
February was also a month in which Ukraine did an excellent job presiding over the Security Council, and I wa…
I am appalled that Russia vetoed today’s draft resolution (S/2017/172), and I am surprised and disappointed that China chose to join it, at complete odds with the principles of non-proliferation that both China and Russia claim to support so strongly. As permanent members of the Security Council and…
The Security Council is about to be asked a simple question: Will we take action against those who use chemical weapons in Syria? It is that simple. Will we take action on behalf of those whose lives have been destroyed by these senseless weapons? Will we take action for people like Mohammed Abdul-R…
I thank Special Representative Tanin for his briefing.
Let me start by welcoming President Nikolić and Ambassador Çitaku to the Council today.
In the interests of keeping this meeting to time, and noting that we have many pressing issues to discuss in the Council, I shall keep my remarks brief thi…
I would like to welcome Foreign Minister Kurz to the Security Council and thank him for his briefing today. His chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), together with Austria’s hosting of the OSCE, as well as parts of the United Nations, shows just how central …
I thank our three Secretaries-General for their briefings today. The three organizations — the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union (EU) — are all playing a crucial role to preserve peace and security in Europe, and we are grateful for…
Like others, I should like to express my deepest personal condolences to the delegation of the Russian Federation and to the family and friends of Vitaly Churkin. Vitaly was an exceptional diplomat and a truly remarkable man. We disagreed on many issues, but I always found him to be an honest and de…
I am most grateful for the analysis shared by the briefers this morning. I join others in paying tribute to you, Mr. Minister, for your leadership in bringing this important issue to our attention.
The terrorist threat has evolved over the past decade. We face increasingly complex threats as terror…
Let me take this opportunity to welcome you, Sir, in your role as President of the Security Council for the month of February. I commend you for the start that you have made, and I support your proposal for a draft presidential statement on this important issue.
As our briefersmade clear, Sir, we b…
I join others in welcoming the unanimous adoption of resolution 2337 (2017). I commend Senegal for its swift and decisive action in presenting the text of resolution 2337 (2017) today.
But in truth, the Council should not have to do this. The people of The Gambia spoke clearly at the elections in D…
I want to begin by paying tribute to Ms. Power in her final appearance in the Security Council. Throughout my time here, she has been that hard pedaling dynamo that she just described. She has been a tireless advocate, a passionate campaigner, a trusted ally and a true friend. She has shown an unrel…
I thank Nickolay for his briefing just now, which made clear that we are beginning a difficult year for the Middle East.
Fifty years since the Six Day War and almost six years since the start of fighting in Syria, peace for many in the region is but a distant memory. Years of violence are now, sadl…
I would like to thank today’s briefers, and to pay special tribute to Ms. Fatima Askira for the bravery she represents and the inspiration she gives to many.
The United Kingdom is taking the floor in this afternoon’s open meeting because we believe we cannot afford to stay silent on this issue, as …
The United Kingdom supports all efforts to maintain a full, nationwide cessation of hostilities and an end to the bloodshed in Syria. For that reason, we welcome the Security Council’s adoption of resolution 2336 (2016) today. In the coming days and weeks the world will be watching to make sure that…
The United Kingdom welcomes the adoption of resolution 2334 (2016) today. It is the first Security Council resolution on the Israel-Palestine issue in over seven years. The adoption of the resolution is first and foremost a clear reinforcement of the international community’s conviction that a two-S…
The United Kingdom abstained in the voting on the final mandate renewal for the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) because we do not agree that the mandate put forward for adoption represents the best approach to closing the Mission or for continuing to operate in Liberia over the next 15 mon…
Today, the Security Council had a chance to show that we would no longer tolerate business as usual in South Sudan. Tragically, for the people of South Sudan, we have been unable to do so. For a long time it has been clear to many of us in the Chamber that a different approach was needed, that diffe…
Allow me to begin by putting on record our deep condolences to the family of the Russian Ambassador for the terrible tragedy in Turkey.
The testimony that we heard from Ms. Nadia Murad Basee Taha has really brought home to us, through the specificity of her experience, the horror of what she experi…
I join others in thanking all of our briefers. As Special Representative
of the Secretary-General Yamamoto said, Afghanistan will not stand alone. I also want to join others in thanking New Zealand for its stewardship of an extremely important committee and for carrying out its very important funct…
