S/PV.7325 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I will now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of Australia. While November was a busy month, the level of Council activity tells us more about the breadth and depth of the crises in the world than it does about the Council’s effectiveness in itself — and it is effectiveness that must always be our focus. Peacekeeping remains a paramount concern. The informal interactive dialogue on Mali very usefully addressed the unique situation of a peacekeeping mission operating for the first time in an asymmetric threat environment where there is effectively no peace to keep. Contemporary peacekeeping is facing unprecedented challenges. The Secretary-General’s High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations is a necessary assessment 15 years after the seminal Brahimi review. The Council had a useful initial dialogue with the Panel, but we need to do a lot more serious thinking about peacekeeping, the increasing demand for it, the increasing difficulty of generating and equipping peacekeepers, and the increasing threat to our peacekeepers. At a time when civilians are being deliberately targeted as a tactic of war and more people are displaced by conflict than at any time since the Second World War, the protection of civilians must be at the core of our peacekeeping efforts, and our peacekeeping missions must be postured robustly to use force when required. The Council has perhaps been most forensic in its focus on implementation in the case of Syria on both the chemical weapons and the humanitarian tracks. The fact that progress has been made on chemical weapons is primarily due to the demanding monitoring and reporting framework established under resolution 2118 (2013). The Council must now ensure the complete eradication of Syria’s chemical weapons programme and that the credible allegations of the use of chlorine as a weapon by the regime, in violation of resolution 2118 (2013), are fully investigated and that those who use chemical agents in warfare are held to account. The regular analysis that the Secretary-General provides us on the implementation of resolutions 2139 (2014) and 2165 (2014), on humanitarian assistance and protection in Syria, is crucial. While some limited progress has been made on humanitarian access, most elements of the two resolutions — particularly as they relate to the protection of Syrian civilians — have not been complied with. The Syrian regime’s military strategy remains deliberately targeted at its own civilians, and systematic violations of human rights and international humanitarian law are massive, savage and routine. The mandate on access contained in resolution 2165 (2014) expires in early January and must be extended in December. We need to give serious attention to what we can do about implementing the much more comprehensive obligations on all parties set out in resolution 2139 (2014). The centrality of human rights to the Council’s work is evident. In November, High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Al Hussein briefed the Council for the first time since his appointment (see S/PV.7314). Those who heard his searing indictment of the horrific crimes of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and its abuse of Islam’s own precepts will not forget it. As President, Australia has sought to make a reality of the requirements of Article 24 of the Charter of the United Nations to ensure that Council members represent the broader United Nations membership and that the Council builds strong partnerships with other actors. Having heard the responses of members of the General Assembly to the Council’s annual report, we conveyed those back to the Council. In partnership with Argentina, we arranged for the first open briefing by the Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) concerning the Sudan in the Chamber for all to hear (see S/PV.7320). We engaged closely with the African Union Peace and Security Council in advance of and during our presidency. We need, as a Council, to do a lot more to ensure that our own protestations that we will work closely with our African partners are better operationalized. Joint visits and assessment missions would be a good way to improve that. While the three initiatives Australia has pursued during its presidency are distinct, there is a common philosophy underpinning them all. The Council must make the best use of the tools it has to effectively address the challenges it faces. The open debate on counter-terrorism (see S/PV.7316) enabled the broader United Nations membership to focus on one of the most dangerous contemporary challenges to international peace and security. The need for concerted and coordinated efforts to degrade ISIL and other Al-Qaida affiliates is one defining imperative; the urgent need to combat foreign terrorist fighters and confronting violent extremism ideologies is another. Presidential statement S/PRST/2014/23, adopted on 19 November, provides practical steps to build on the momentum generated by resolutions 2170 (2014) and 2178 (2014) (2014). Contemporary terrorism is not just a threat in itself; it often takes advantage of local or regional conflict, making the conflict worse and in the process increasing its own lethal impact. The Council needs to keep terrorism high on its agenda and to ensure that the implementation of our resolutions and November’s presidential statement happens. Our initiative on policing has filled a serious gap by recognizing the vital importance of policing to peacekeeping, peacebuilding, the rule of law and the protection of civilians. Resolution 2185 (2014), the first ever on policing, is designed to make a practical contribution to improving the effectiveness of the work of police components, and the joint briefing by the heads of police components will be an important annual addition to the Council’s work. The final initiative Australia has pursued, of course, is on sanctions. Sanctions are a crucial and often the only tool for the Council, and we need to do much better on implementation. The high-level review that Australia conducted with Sweden, Greece, Finland and Germany reaffirmed the demand from Member States for greater guidance and assistance, and the need for better coordination within the United Nations system — 20 United Nations entities contribute to sanctions implementation — and between the Secretariat and other institutions. We look forward to securing agreement on a Council resolution in the coming days that will respond to those needs definitively. In closing, I thank all colleagues for their cooperation and engagement in November. The month has not yet finished. Together, we have made some progress; we may well make some more in the next few days. I now resume my functions as President of the Security Council. I give the floor to the other members of the Council.

We are almost at the end of another busy month — busy, yet skillfully facilitated by a presidency with a clear sense of purpose, efficiency and transparency. This month the Council focused its discussions on a number of issues that Lithuania finds particularly pertinent. We held the first-ever briefing with the heads of police components (see S/PV.7317) and the adoption of resolution 2185 (2014) on United Nations police. Like the debate with the heads of military components during the Argentinian presidency (see S/PV.7275), it allowed us to hear directly from the commanders of the most rapidly growing United Nations peacekeeping component on efforts to stop community violence, ensure accountability and build national justice institutions. It was very encouraging to hear police commanders reaffirming that the protection of civilians, and in particular women and children, is the key priority for United Nations peacekeeping. The Council has been consistent in sending that message through its country- specific and horizontal resolutions. Member States and the Secretariat alike have to reinforce their efforts in ensuring that peacekeepers are prepared and willing to actively intervene when the most vulnerable are in need of protection. Yesterday’s debate on United Nations sanctions (see S/PV.7323) offered us an opportunity to reflect on how sanctions have evolved from being punitive measures imposed in response to incompliance with international obligations. We look forward to a prompt adoption of the draft resolution on this issue. Currently, more often than not sanctions are a much more comprehensive tool intended to help countries in their post-conflict recovery or in preventing relapse The Council must therefore consider how it should readjust its efforts to ensure better compliance with and implementation of sanctions. While arms embargoes, travel bans and asset freezes might indeed be instrumental in setting a country on a path towards peaceful development, it is only through capacity-building and technical assistance that their true potential can be achieved. It is also important for the Council and relevant Committees to remain engaged with neighbouring countries. Their shared interest in regional stability and first-hand knowledge of the situation are a crucial asset in making sanctions timely and well targeted. Finally, the sanctions committees must engage in constant dialogue with the wider United Nations membership through open briefings and press statements. Looking ahead into next month, the Council will have to decide on the extension of the mandates of the judges of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. During the past two decades, both tribunals have made enormous contributions both to the development of international criminal law and to assistance to national judicial systems in conducting their own trials. They are now at a crucial juncture, in which they are aiming to effectively conclude cases still under consideration while referring pending tasks to the Residual Mechanism. Keeping that in mind, the Council has to ensure that closure dates depend on the completion of ongoing trials in compliance with the highest standards of procedural fairness. That can be assured only by the extension of the mandates, as requested by the Presidents of both Tribunals. In November the Council held an important debate on international cooperation in combating terrorism (see S/PV.7316) and adopted a presidential statement (S/PRST/2014/23), which reiterated the grave concern about the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, the Al-Nusra Front and other Al-Qaida affiliates, as well as the negative impact of violent extremist ideology on the stability of Iraq, Syria and beyond. Next month the Council will continue to address the multifaceted issue of terrorism with a focus on the African region, which remains one of the most vulnerable to this increasingly diffuse threat. As noted in the Secretary-General’s report of 9 January 2014 (S/2014/9), the picture is further complicated by the increasing cooperation among criminal networks and terrorist groups, especially in West Africa and the Sahel. It often involves drugs, arms and human trafficking, as well as other illicit activities, which call for an immediate and enhanced response at all levels. Despite repeated calls from the international community to find a solution, the situation in the east of Ukraine continues to escalate. In the public meeting on 12 November (see S/PV.7311) most Council Members echoed concerns expressed by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and Assistant Secretary-General Toyberg-Frandzen over increased tensions as convoys moved into the separatist-held areas with substantial amounts of heavy weapons and troops from across the Russian border. Constant violations of the ceasefire continued to fuel the conflict and further endangered the Minsk agreements, as did the illegal and illegitimate so-called elections held on 2 November by foreign-backed illegal armed rebel groups despite the overwhelming consensus on the part of the international community that they would damage the political solution. As the international efforts to find a solution that can only be based on respect of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity continue, the Council and the United Nations should support them. Lastly, as this is the last Council meeting for November, let me thank Australia for this extraordinary month, welcome the newly elected Council members that have now joined us and, finally, wish Chad every success in December.

I would first like to thank you, Mr. President, and your entire team for all the work done in November. The programme was extremely tightly packed, which sometimes gave the impression of running the New York marathon here too in the Council, but at a pace not quite as fast as the sprinters. You, Sir, conducted our debates with as much rigour as enthusiasm. In that regard, your second presidency reflects your outstanding two-year balance sheet in the Council, for which we thank you. While the media focused on Syria, the situation in Gaza and Jerusalem and counter-terrorism — regarding which Australia has been fully mobilized during its tenure — let us not forget that crises in Africa are and will remain a major topic for the Security Council, where it is heavily invested politically and through peacekeeping operations and where what the Council does can make a difference. I shall therefore devote most of statement to those issues. The brainstorming meeting on the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) held by the Security Council on 10 November, following the proposal made by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations,was an innovative and productive exercise. I would like to thank the presidency and the Secretariat in particular for successfully organizing that interactive informal debate. The meeting enabled Council members to address very directly all aspects, political and security- related, relating to the tense situation in northern Mali. Council members expressed a strong consensus, on the one hand, to continue to put pressure on the Malian parties to complete the Algiers peace negotiations on their terms and in a spirit of compromise and, on the other hand, to take all the necessary measures to strengthen security for the Blue Helmets of MINUSMA, with the support of Operation Barkhane, so that they can fully carry out their very robust mandate to stabilize northern Mali. The proposals made by the Secretariat to the Council for that meeting and the President’s summary are valuable in helping us to make progress. We expect that the next report of the Secretary-General on Mali in late December will report on the implementation of the proposed measures. After the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), we can say that the MINUSMA is now the second laboratory on peacekeeping in a complex environment. As we did this month for Mali, we need to be able to reflect collectively in an innovative, more interactive and more concrete fashion to allow peacekeeping operations to cope with new situations on the ground. We believe that the formula tested in Mali deserves to be taken up in the future. Turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, one year after the Mouvement du 23 Mars (M-23) was defeated, which was a milestone for the country and for the reputation of the United Nations on the ground, many challenges remain. On the security front, while the protection of civilians and the neutralization of armed groups are the Council’s priority, obstacles remain: the voluntary disarmament of the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda is deadlocked, the upsurge in violent attacks in the Beni region shows that sustainable neutralization of the Allied Democratic Forces is not yet a reality, and the demobilization and reintegration of former M-23 combatants is delayed. Moreover, the political situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is tense in the context of the sensitive pre-electoral situation. The members of the Council are concerned about the slow implementation of the reforms agreed to by the Government in the context of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework Agreement for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region, signed in Addis Ababa, which remains the basis for a lasting settlement of the crisis in the Great Lakes region. In that fragile context, the expulsion of the head of the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office by the authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is disturbing. The strategic review expected in late December will be an opportunity to make a first assessment of resolutions 2098 (2013) and 2147 (2014) on how to continue strengthening MONUSCO. We can never overemphasize the importance of the protection of civilians, which should be active and effective. Neutralizing armed groups is necessary, but the return to sustainable stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo cannot be achieved without the implementation of the necessary reforms by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and without firm resolve on the part of the signatories to the Framework Agreement to respect their commitments. МОNUSCO also has a crucial role to play. The review of those two major peacekeeping operations naturally leads me to mention the review of peacekeeping operations by the Secretary-General. Last week the Security Council had discussions with members of the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations, chaired by Мr. Ramos-Horta. It is good to step back and to reflect on how to strengthen and adapt a tool  — peacekeeping operations and political missions  — that sometimes suffers from its own success. In that regard, we thank Australia for its initiative of introducing the first Council resolution (resolution 2185 (2014)) on the role of police in peacekeeping operations. That initiative will make a useful contribution to the thinking on an increasingly important and complex dimension of our operations. We expect the review of peacekeeping operations to lead to concrete proposals aimed at improving the effectiveness of peacekeeping — for example, to better fulfil what has become the core mission, that is, the protection of civilians; to speed up the deployment of missions; to ensure the cohesion of the various military, police and civilian components; and to reduce tensions on critical capacity resources, such as helicopters, personnel and financing. We also hope that the review will make it possible to move towards more flexible peacekeeping operations that are adapted to the local situation and deployed in sequence and that can be adapted if necessary, including with a clearly identified exit strategy. In the coming months France will contribute to that debate, here and in Paris, where our authorities are studying the subject and willing to support the review process. Finally, let me turn to a matter that my delegation holds dear: the issue of human rights in the day-to- day work of the Security Council. In that regard, we welcome the presence of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid, at the last meeting on Iraq (see S/PV.7314), and the outstanding statement he delivered on that occasion. We agree with his analysis on the need to combat the deadly rhetoric of Daesh. We support his appeal to the Iraqi authorities to acknowledge the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. That initial interaction between the Council and the new United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights was very fruitful, and we hope it can be continued. Soon the Council will take up the human rights situation in North Korea, for the General Assembly decided to refer to us the report of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, headed by Justice Kirby. The crimes described in the report, as the Commission of Inquiry states, are “unprecedented in the world today”. They may constitute crimes against humanity. The Council must not shirk its responsibilities, and must be ready to consider the contents and conclusions of that report. Let me conclude by thanking you, dear Gary, once again, for your presidency. Chad will take up the torch in December, as France did at a similar time last year. We now know that the Council can work very hard between Christmas and New Year’s Day, which is not necessarily the best model to follow. My country wishes Chad every success.

Unfortunately, there is no good model in the world in which we operate.

Let me begin by congratulating you, Mr. President, and the Australian delegation on a successful presidency during the month of November. Although it has been an unusually busy month, the work of the Council was efficiently conducted thanks to your able leadership and the exemplary work of your team, which I think set a new standard. Throughout the month the Council maintained its vigilance with respect to various regional issues, including Syria, Iraq and South Sudan. We also explored how best to use the tools at the Council’s disposal, primarily United Nations peacekeeping operations and sanctions regimes, in order to better promote a climate of global peace and security. Particularly noteworthy was the Council’s first meeting with United Nations police commissioners (see S/PV.7317), which shed new light on the unique role played by the police component of peacekeeping operations. We believe that resolution 2185 (2014) will serve as an important reference for United Nations policing as a crucial part of post-conflict peacebuilding endeavours, including the rule of law, security sector reform and the protection of civilians. Also of great importance was the informal interactive dialogue with the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations. The Panel has an enormous task before it: to come up with a prescription for the changing nature of conflicts and the evolving environments of United Nations peace operations. Sanctions, in conjunction with other Security Council tools, remain a vitally useful policy instrument. Yesterday’s briefing (see S/PV.7323) allowed us to take stock of the evolution of United Nations sanctions and to discuss ways to further improve their implementation. We look forward to the adoption of a resolution that aims to improve the coordination and implementation of United Nations sanctions. We believe that the high-level open debate on counter-terrorism (see S/PV.7316) came at the most opportune time to build upon the outcome of the September Security Council summit (see S/PV.7272) and maintain international momentum to fight terrorism. Faced with the common threat posed by terrorists, including the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, the Al-Nusra Front and other Al-Qaida-associated groups and foreign fighters, we were able to share national implementation experiences and compare notes with a view to further strengthening national counter- terrorism measures. The Council took a step forward by adopting a presidential statement (S/PRST/2014/23) that lays out practical steps to implement counter- terrorism measures, including those that curb financing for terrorists. November was also a significant month for the work of the subsidiary bodies. The Council received a 90-day report by the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006). We appreciated that the Committee worked diligently and made continued progress under the Chair’s able leadership. However, given the continued provocative rhetoric from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, including the threat of another nuclear test, we reiterate that the Council and the Committee should remain vigilant. The Council should continue to send a clear and united message warning that such provocations will be squarely dealt with by the Council. Two days ago I gave the Council my last briefing (see S/PV.7319) on the activities of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) in my capacity as Chair of the Committee. Looking back over the work and accomplishments achieved in this tenth anniversary year, those accomplishments would not have been possible without the strong and unwavering support of Member States. The comments and guidelines of Council members will be duly reflected in the work of the Committee to achieve the full implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). Finally, we would like to wish Chad great success in its upcoming presidency in December and assure the Chadian President of our full support.

I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting to wrap up a very busy month of November during Australia’s second and last presidency of the Security Council. Looking ahead to the draft programme of work for December, the year 2014 will be a good one for the transparency of the Security Council, with 9 wrap-up sessions in 12 months, including 5 under the format of a public briefing. We hope that in the coming months the Council’s Presidents will also mobilize the United Nations membership, including through the original groupings, to ensure better attendance by non-Council members. Indeed, wrap-up sessions are organized first and foremost for the United Nations general membership, which mandated the Council to maintain international peace and security. We therefore believe that their participation in these meetings should be enhanced. Wrap-up sessions are a unique opportunity for Member States to receive first-hand information on the activities of the Council, including an assessment of its work, progress and effectiveness. Rwanda congratulates you, Mr. President, for the excellent manner in which you conducted the business of the Security Council for the month of November. We particularly appreciated the attention that The Honorable Julie Bishop, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia, paid to the work of the Council by presiding over three important meetings — on counter-terrorism (see S/PV.7316), United Nations policing (see S/PV.7317) and the Ebola virus disease (see S/PV.7318). We extend our appreciation to Ambassador Philippa King, Deputy Permanent Representative, to Michael Bliss, Political Coordinator, and to the whole Australian team for its excellent job in making this presidency a success. I also take this opportunity to congratulate Ambassador Mahamat Zene Cherif of Chad on assuming the presidency of the Council for the month of December, the last month during Rwanda’s present term. I am convinced that with his extensive diplomatic experience and demonstrated commitment to peace and security, especially on the African continent, Ambassador Cherif will enable the Council to make substantive progress on the main items on its agenda. November was one of the Security Council’s busiest and most productive months this year. I will begin by mentioning the first-ever briefings on United Nations policing (see S/PV.7317) and on United Nations sanctions (see S/PV.7323). In its meeting on policing, the Council adopted resolution 2185 (2014), which highlights the critical role of United Nations policing in peacekeeping missions and special political missions. In the sanctions meeeting, the Australian presidency proposed an important draft resolution on United Nations sanctions, which we hope will be adopted by consensus in the days to come. The Australian presidency also convened an open debate on counter-terrorism (see S/PV.7316) and a briefing on the Ebola virus disease (see S/PV.7318). At those meetings, it adopted presidential statements S/PRST/2014/23 and S/PRST/2014/24, which express the Council’s continued commitment to fight two of the current threats to international peace and security. November was also the month of the election of five judges of the International Court of Justice, which was a New York marathon in itself. The month also included the twelfth annual workshop for newly elected members of the Security Council, also known as the Finnish workshop, and the presentation of the 2013-2014 annual report of the Council to the General Assembly (A/69/2). Furthermore, the Council continued to closely follow country-specific situations on its agenda and to discuss conflicts in Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. However, while the Security Council usually garners consensus on African conflicts, the Council’s unity was once again put to the test with respect to conflicts in the Middle East, in particular in Syria and between Israel and Palestine, as well as in Eastern Europe, mainly Ukraine and, to a lesser extent, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Resolution 2183 (2014), which extends the mandate of the European Union-led peacekeeping force Operation Althea, was adopted without consensus for the first time. We call on all members, particularly the permanent members, to enhance consultations and deepen dialogue with a view to finding common ground for the common good. With respect to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I will only recall without comment presidential statement S/PRST/2014/22, of 5 November, through which the Security Council expresses its deep concern over the lack of progress in the voluntary disarmament process of the so-called Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and stresses again that there should be no further delay beyond the 2 January 2015 end date set by the region for the voluntary disarmament process. The Security Council went on to call on the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Government of that country to immediately update operational plans for military action against the FDLR commencing no later than January and to immediately undertake military action against those leaders and members of the FDLR who do not engage in the demobilization process and who continue to carry out human rights abuses. Here the Council has a clear blueprint, and there should be no further excuse or reason for failure. In conclusion, I would like to commend Australia for carrying out a successful mandate in the Security Council over the past two years, in which it has made the best use of its presidencies in September 2013 and November 2014. It has enabled the Council to explore new territory, such as United Nations policing and United Nations sanctions, and to revive consideration of critical issues such as small arms and light weapons. In that regard, Mr. President, you introduced our first- ever resolutions on those three topics — small arms and light weapons, policing and sanctions — of which the first two have been adopted by the Council as resolutions 2117 (2013) and 2185 (2014), and the third will hopefully be adopted early next month. Considering your decisive leadership, together with that of Jordan and Luxembourg, in the unanimous adoptions of resolutions 2139 (2014) and 2165 (2014), on the humanitarian situation in Syria; your effective chairing of critical sanctions committees, such as the Committee established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011) concerning Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities, and the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006), on Iran; not to mention your able penholdership on Afghanistan, I think that Australia can be proud of its legacy in the Council for the period 2013-2014.

Before getting to the main part of my statement, I would first like to congratulate you, Sir, and all your team warmly on your conduct of our work during this month. I would also like to thank you for organizing this useful synthesis meeting. In your concept note for the meeting, you asked us not just to review the highlights of the month but also to look ahead and focus on cross-cutting issues and our methods of work. In guiding our work, especially in closed consultations, you consistently worked to reconcile the importance of managing our time well with the desire to make our discussions more interactive. The two informal interactive dialogues held this month enabled Council members to have a fruitful exchange with key personnel, first on the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali and later on the review of United Nations peacekeeping operations. To that I would add another welcome attempt to inject a dose of interactivity into the Council’s informative open debates, as was the case during the meeting on the role of the United Nations police, presided over by Foreign Minister Bishop (see S/PV.7317). All those efforts geared to greater interactivity, launched a few months ago and improved over time, have undoubtedly helped to enrich our debates and ultimately provide us with better ways to shape the Council’s action. Considering that this has been a month full of activity, I would like to emphasize a few specific initiatives. In the wake of the adoption of resolutions 2170 (2014) and 2178 (2014), Mr. President, you chose to organize an open debate at the ministerial level devoted to the issue of terrorism and violent extremism (see S/PV.7316), sadly justified in the light of the ongoing challenges posed by the threat of terrorism and the need for decisive action to combat it. The barbarism of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, whether through the atrocities committed against the Syrian and Iraqi peoples or the murder of those working to bring help and assistance to people in need; the unspeakable brutality of Boko Haram; the insidious appeal that this extreme ideology has for more and more young people around the world are all elements that demand resolute action on the part of the international community. The presidential statement we adopted at that meeting (S/PRST/2014/23) will help to strengthen the international community’s action and cooperation on the issue. It is now up to us to work to ensure that the Council’s measures go into full effect. In that context, I would like to reiterate our belief that respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms must be an integral part of our strategy against terrorism, or we run the risk of the cure being worse than the disease. It was also during your tenure, Mr. President, that the Security Council held its first ever meeting on the role of the United Nations police in peacekeeping and peacebuilding. The adoption of resolution 2185 (2014), our first on police functions, is a useful addition to the tools at our disposal for peacekeeping, peacebuilding and reforming the security sector. It also constitutes recognition of the increasingly important role that the United Nations police plays in conflict situations and peacebuilding, as we saw in that debate and in our meetings on Liberia (see S/PV.7310) and South Sudan (S/PV.7305), to cite only two examples. The role of the United Nations police will also be one of the many topics to be discussed during the review of United Nations peacekeeping to be conducted by the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations. We greatly appreciated the opportunity we were given this month for a discussion with the Panel, and we hope that the Council, like the other interested parties, will have the chance to contribute throughout the review process. As I said during our informal interactive dialogue, it is particularly important that we establish synergies with the reviews of the United Nations peacebuilding architecture and of the role of women in peace and security, which will be conducted simultaneously. Only yesterday, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Ms. Valerie Amos, gave us the latest update on the humanitarian situation in Syria (see S/PV,7324). The figures speak for themselves and I will not repeat them here. Through its adoption of resolution 2165 (2014), the Security Council created a framework enabling aid to be provided to populations in need by the most direct routes possible. Thanks to that resolution, almost 300,000 more people have been able to benefit from humanitarian and medical aid. It is vital to maintain that momentum, and in order to do so the Security Council must play its part. We are confident that we will be able to rely on the support of our colleagues in the Council to renew very shortly the decision made in resolution 2165 (2014) on operations that cross borders, conflict lines and United Nations monitoring mechanisms and thereby continue to give the Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs, as well as humanitarian agencies and personnel, the support it needs from the Security Council to help those trapped in the conflict in Syria. I would like to say a lot more — to thank you, Mr. President, for organizing a meeting on general issues relating to sanctions (see S/PV.7323), and to talk about the situations in South Sudan, the Middle East, Libya and Iraq, to mention only a few of the issues we are dealing with — but I am not sure that it would be a very good idea, from the point of view of the efficiency of our work, to exceed the time allotted to me to speak. I will therefore stop here, but I cannot fail to offer Ambassador Cherif and the entire delegation of Chad our best wishes for their presidency of the Security Council in December. They can count on our cooperation and support.

I would first like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on you and your team’s effectiveness and hard work during your leadership of the Council in November. We have watched you seriously improve the new, interactive discussions in the Council, allowing us to save time during our meetings. I would also like to thank all those who have extended kind words to us, in particular to Ambassador Cherif, and wished us success in our upcoming presidency. It will be an honour for the delegation of Chad to occupy the Security Council rostrum for the first time in its history. With the Council’s support, we strive to live up to the challenge. With that said, allow me to say that the 5 November meeting on Burundi (see S/PV.7295) highlighted the very delicate situation in that country on account of the tensions leading up to the elections to be held in 2015, two months after the withdrawal of the United Nations Office in Burundi. The meeting of 12 November on Liberia (see S/PV.7310) addressing the Ebola crisis allowed Council members to unanimously adopt very important measures in that connection. At that meeting, Mr. Hervé Ladsous underscored the need to consider what international assistance would be needed during the post-Ebola reconstruction in the country. Also with regard to the Ebola crisis, we must acknowledge that your leadership, Mr. President, led the Council to address the matter on two occasions, with the broad participation of Member States in the open meeting on Ebola on 21 November (see S/PV.7318). With regard to the increasing terrorist threat, the Australian presidency organized a high-level debate (see S/PV.7316), led by your Minister for Foreign Affairs, at which 77 delegations spoke, underlining the importance of the issue and the mobilization of Member States in addressing it. Presidential statement S/PRST/2014/23 was adopted by the Council at that time. We congratulate you, Mr. President, on having taken the initiative to hold the first meeting of the Security Council on the key role of United Nations policing in peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations (see S/PV.7317), during which resolution 2185 (2014) on that issue was adopted unanimously. We reiterate our support for the strengthening of the police components in peacekeeping operations and special political missions, which largely contribute to post- conflict peacebuilding and the sustainable protection of civilians. We also believe that the issue of the level of linguistic and cultural knowledge could become a criterion for the selection of police officers. The meeting held on 25 November on the effectiveness of sanctions (see S/PV.7323) provided an opportunity to consider the very important issue of the implementation of sanctions by the Security Council. That debate will contribute to opening the door for subsequent decisions to fill the gaps that we observed in that area. I cannot end without talking about the retreat in Greentree on 13 and 14 November, organized by the Permanent Mission of Finland, which brought together the Council members, including the newly elected members, on relevant issues related to an assessment of the Council’s activities in 2014 on methods of work and lessons learned. From those discussions, it became clear, inter alia, that briefings and consultations are virtually identical. It was also stressed that the Council is still divided on some so-called sensitive issues and, as such, solutions do not appear forthcoming, as is the case with the question of Palestine, for example. In conclusion, I once again congratulate you, Sir, and the entire Australian team on your tremendous work, the relevance of the issues you took up and your perseverance throughout your presidency. Do not forget to tell us the secret of your success. It will be a precious gift.

Tomorrow in the United States it is the Thanksgiving holiday. My delegation is actually giving thanks today to the delegation of Australia for its professionalism, flair and excellent stewardship of the Security Council during the month of November. Today I would like to share my delegation’s views on some areas in which the Council has been productive over the past month, while also looking ahead to what we still need to continue to focus on in December and beyond. First, my delegation appreciates the meeting Australia held on Ebola (see S/PV.7318). Foreign Minister Bishop’s decision to chair the meeting helped to communicate the seriousness of that ongoing crisis, which has led to over 5,000 deaths. We are beginning to see the effects of the international community’s collective response. Our efforts are saving lives. In the past month, the average number of reported cases per week in Liberia has fallen by one third. But just because we are seeing signs of progress does not mean that we can abandon the fight. We must continue our efforts to contain the virus and our response needs to be fluid, nimble and regional as well. Going forward the United States believes four points are especially important. First, the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response should help coordinate and better target the work of multiple United Nations agencies, Member States and organizations to optimize our collective response. Secondly, donors need to tailor contributions to the needs of the moment rather than what best suits our capitals. Thirdly, we need more international health- care workers to support national health responders and we need to do a better job of protecting health- care workers and other volunteers. Fourthly, we need to invest more in preparing neighbouring countries to prevent new outbreaks and to contain those outbreaks if and when they occur. We have now had more than two dozen meetings on Ukraine this year in the Council and our continued attention is clearly necessary. The recent report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights showed that between 6 September and 18 November, during the ceasefire, 957 people were killed in eastern Ukraine. We are still waiting for Russia and the separatists it supports to honour the joint commitments made on 5 September in Minsk. The separatists have taken advantage of the agreed pause in fighting to try to expand their territory. On 2 November, separatists held illegal elections in parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. The vote violated Ukraine’s sovereignty and defied the Minsk protocol. Minsk is the road map, but for it to be successful, both sides must commit to following it. Looking ahead, we must also continue to watch the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The mandate renewal adopted this month reaffirmed the Council’s willingness to support the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina in their efforts to sustain a safe and secure environment with the assistance of the European Union-led peacekeeping force Operation Althea mission. There were unprecedented moments in the Council this month for which we must thank you, Mr. President, as well as Foreign Minister Bishop and your entire hardworking team. One example was that the Council held its first ever session dedicated to policing (see S/PV.7317). United Nations police are central to stopping conflicts and to building sustainable and genuine peace. As the number of United Nations police increases, we are also asking more and more of them. We appreciated the session last week because it put a bright light on police work and the challenges United Nations police face. We look forward to following the issue closely and hearing more from the field in the months and years to come, and, of course, we are also looking forward to following up with the high-level panel on peacekeeping. The United States also greatly appreciates Australia’s leadership in the international response to terrorism and violent extremism. Helping our partners capably meet the evolving threat of terrorism, including stemming the flow of foreign terrorist fighters and countering violent extremism, is absolutely essential. In that vein, we should heed the powerful warning issued by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, at the meeting on 18 November that “[t]he scale and violence of ISIL’s brutality towards civilians shreds every principle relevant to human rights” (S/PV.7314, p. 5). The Council has recognized that tackling the ISIL challenge will require using diverse tools, including financial measures and sanctions, as we resolved in August through the adoption of resolution 2170 (2014). Presidential statement S/PRST/2014/23, adopted on 19 November, once again addressed the importance of stopping all financial support for ISIL  — support that goes to funding terrorist acts and recruitment. In the coming months, the Council should consider if additional actions and measures are needed to ensure that ISIL does not use oil, kidnapping for ransom, banks, cultural property in which Iraq and Syria are so rich, donations and other means of financing to support itself. Finally, this leads me to the humanitarian situation in Syria. As we highlighted in the Council yesterday (see S/PV.7324), the situation in Syria continues to deteriorate. Millions are suffering due to the regime’s continued violence against civilians, including shelling and aerial bombardments, and its systematic restrictions and bureaucratic obstacles that keep life-sustaining humanitarian aid from thousands struggling to survive in besieged communities. Given the immense challenges to reaching Syrians in need, it is imperative that all United Nations agencies use the full authority of resolution 2165 (2014) to deliver cross-border aid. We need to continue efforts authorized in resolution 2165 (2014), and we look forward to engaging on the mandate’s renewal. To our colleagues from Chad, we pledge our full support as they take the reins for December.

I thank you, Mr. President, for organizing this wrap-up session, which provides us with an opportunity to assess the work of the Council in the month of November. The first briefing by heads of police components of three United Nations peacekeeping missions was a notable development in the month (see S/PV.7317). The briefing offered Council members and the wider United Nations membership an opportunity to hear directly from the police commissioners responsible for carrying out the peacekeeping mandates authorized by the Council as they concerned police components. With the mandates of peacekeeping missions becoming more multidimensional, the police components are taking on a more complex role. The police commissioners briefed on three important topics: challenges in building whole-State institutional capacity, having the necessary requirements to effectively execute Council mandates, and the role of police components in the protection of civilians. The interactive nature of the meeting proved very useful, as Council members had the opportunity to ask questions, seek clarification and make suggestions on issues concerning policing and peacekeeping. We commend Australia for the leadership role it played in the adoption of the Council’s first ever stand-alone resolution on policing and peacekeeping (resolution 2185 (2014)). This, in our view, was one of the most significant developments in the Council in November. The resolution highlights the increased complexity of United Nations policing. It also recognizes the need for the United Nations to allocate adequate resources to police components in order to enable them to meet the challenges they face on the ground. The Council’s debate on Ebola (see S/PV.7318) presented an opportunity for the stocktaking essential to assessing the progress made in our collective response to the scourge. The debate revealed that indeed the global response is yielding results and that important progress has been recorded on the ground. That was attributed in part to the crucial contributions of regional States that had led the response to the Ebola outbreak. The contributions of the international community, as well as non-governmental organizations, were also recognized as being very important. Nevertheless, more needs to be done to achieve our ultimate goal of eradicating Ebola. This is a global medical emergency and not just a regional problem. For that reason, the sustained support of the international community remains essential. We are confident that, with the leadership of the United Nations, the current momentum will be sustained. We pay tribute to the men and women on the front line who put themselves in harm’s way fighting that scourge. Mr. President, this being the last scheduled meeting under the presidency of Australia, the Nigerian delegation congratulates you and your delegation on the able manner in which you have presided over the affairs of the Council in the month of November. We also take this opportunity to extend our best wishes and full support to Chad as the delegation prepares to assume the presidency of the Council for the month of December. Sir Mark Lyall Grant (United Kingdom): I congratulate the Australian Mission on having steered the Council through a busy but productive month. Although one month remains of Australia’s term on the Council, that will not prevent me from describing its presidency as a fitting culmination to the energy, creativity and commitment that Australia has brought to Council proceedings over the past two years. I have often expressed frustration that the Security Council has become too much a captive of its agenda and procedures. Too many meetings happen simply because of the cyclical reporting cycle rather than with a clear purpose in mind or as a response to developments on the ground. That is not a criticism that can be levelled at the November programme. We have, it is true, worked our way productively through important regular items of Council business: the International Court of Justice elections; mandate renewals for the European Union military mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (see S/PV.7307), the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (see S/PV.7322) and the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (see S/PV.7321); and for the international effort to combat piracy off Somalia (see S/PV.7309). But the Council has also responded in an agile and speedy way to unforeseen developments. On Darfur, following very disturbing reports of mass rape in Thabit, we were briefed at short notice by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and Special Representative Bangura. In the light of the obstacles placed by the Sudanese authorities to follow-up by the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), the Council issued a statement (SC/11658) calling for the Sudanese Government to allow full and unrestricted freedom of movement to UNAMID to enable it to conduct a full and transparent investigation into those reports without interference. That statement sent a strong message of the Council’s determination to uphold its commitments to tackling sexual violence. It is deplorable that the Sudanese Government is still denying access to UNAMID. Once again, we urge the Sudanese Government to respond to that clear and united message from the Security Council. On Ukraine, the Council met on 12 November (see S/PV.7311) in response to continued breaches of the Minsk agreements by Russian-backed armed separatists. That also allowed us to reiterate concerns over the deteriorating human rights situation in areas under separatist control in eastern Ukraine and in the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula. The Council must be ready to continue to monitor and apply scrutiny to the ongoing threat to international peace and security posed by efforts to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Council also met on 21 November to consider developments on the Ebola crisis (see S/PV.7318). The crisis reminds us of the varied nature of threats to international peace and security. The presidential statement we adopted (S/PRST/2014/24) usefully underlined our strong support for United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER), as well as the need for continued strengthening of UNMEER’s coordination role and for accelerated efforts to scale up its presence at the district level in affected countries. We have had short-notice briefings also on the crises in South Sudan (see S/PV.7320) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (see S/PV.7296). I welcome the first listings under the sanctions regime for Yemen established by resolution 2140 (2014) — an important signal of our readiness to respond firmly to those who are seeking to obstruct or undermine the country’s peaceful political transition. Those are all examples of an agile Council responding quickly and flexibly to fast-moving developments. But I also welcome the way in which the Australian presidency has allowed us to step back and take a more strategic look at some important thematic and cross- cutting issues. The Council’s meeting with heads of police components (see S/PV.7317) was an important innovation, as was the accompanying adoption of resolution 2185 (2014), the first-ever resolution on United Nations policing. As peacekeeping becomes ever more complex and challenging, there will be an increasing role for United Nations police alongside military components. We need to think carefully about the role and methods of United Nations policing, including as a bridging capability during periods of mission drawdown. The Secretary-General’s report, commissioned pursuant to resolution 2185 (2014), will be an important stimulus to this work. The continuing atrocities committed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), including the brutal murder this month of a United States humanitarian aid worker and Syrian captives underline the importance of sustained Council focus on the threat posed by ISIL and on counter-terrorism more generally. The debate on 19 November (see S/PV.7316) and the adoption of a presidential statement (S/PRST/2014/23) builds on the series of steps taken in recent months by the Council, including the adoption of resolutions 2170 (2014) and 2178 (2014), and emphasized the importance of all United Nations Members complying with and implementing their obligations under those resolutions. During the meeting on the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq held on 18 November (see S/PV.7314), we also heard a powerful briefing from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights making the case for a new and sustained effort to tackle extremism and the extremist narrative. That is something we shall need to follow up. In yesterday’s meeting on cross-cutting issues relating to United Nations sanctions, Council members were able to reflect on how to make the best use of this important tool for contributing to international peace and security. I hope that we will be able to adopt a draft resolution on this issue very shortly. The theme underlying my statement today is the value of the Council using its programme of work flexibly and imaginatively so that we can respond quickly to external developments and so that we can step back from the cyclical regular business to consider important strategic issues and draw conclusions about how to integrate those into our regular work. Your presidency, Sir, has shown that this can be done in a productive way, and I hope that future presidencies will follow the model that you have set this month for judiciously blending regular Council business with reactive Council meetings and discretionary meetings focused on important thematic issues. Looking ahead, I wish the Mission of Chad the very best for the month of December and look forward to the planned debate on terrorism and cross-border crime, which will add another important dimension to our consideration of the counter-terrorism challenge. Finally, I note that next month will be the first anniversary of the start of the internal conflict in South Sudan. It is depressing that all our efforts over the last year, including our visit to South Sudan in August, have not yet had the desired impact. The fighting continues. Efforts to secure political agreement have yet to bear fruit. Huge numbers of people are displaced, many of them still forced to seek protection in United Nations bases. We must use the upcoming anniversary to reflect on what more we can do to sharpen international pressure on South Sudan’s political and military leaders and to address the important accountability issues arising from this conflict.

Colleagues are well aware of the fact that the Russian delegation is not a fan of the monthly wrap-up sessions. There is too much reiteration of well-known positions and too many attempts to glorify approaches that are not objective ones. For example, today a number of statements contained a one-sided interpretation of certain issues relating to the situation in Syria. In November, some members of the Council, at the earlier experts stage, blocked work on a proposed presidential statement by the Russian delegation on the danger of the potential use by terrorists of chemical weapons in Syria and in Iraq. If Damascus is always going to be blamed for everything, that means giving a free hand to the terrorists; this is something that we should be quite clear about. Coming back to the question of the format of today’s meeting, there is a saying in the theatre that if there are more actors on the stage than members in the audience, then it is time to change the repertoire. We propose having just one wrap-up session per year. The Council had a heavy agenda in November, but thanks to the good work of the Australian delegation, we were able to get through this period without serious disruption. We would like to wish the delegation of Chad the very best as it prepares to take over leadership of the Council in December. There was strong focus on the Middle East and North Africa. The situation there is extremely volatile, and it will be possible to stabilize it only if there is a political and diplomatic settlement of regional crises, alongside a consistent struggle, in the framework of full respect for international law, against terrorism and extremism, be it with respect to the Syrian conflict, the situation in Iraq or Libya. We note the Council’s timely work on counter- terrorism. We have to put an end to radicalization, which fuels terrorism. We must stop terrorists from using the media, including the Internet, to try to make their activities appear attractive. We must cut off their oxygen. We must cut off funding, including from the illegal trade In Iraqi and Syrian oil. It is vital to work systematically on this particular issue. The president statement of 19 November (S/PRST/2104/23) offers some good guidance in that respect. We must further develop that approach and give it real, practical content. On 20 November, we held an important meeting on United Nations policing. The work of the police is becoming extremely diverse and complex, but we should not forget that it is States that bear primary responsibility for the maintenance of law and order in their peacekeeping contingents. The main purpose of police contingents is to assist the national law-and- order forces during the post-conflict reconstruction period. We believe that the issue of Ebola is a very important one, but we believe also that, without infringing on the prerogatives of other United Nations organs, it should be taken up primarily in the General Assembly and the specialized agencies. We have to try to be clear in defining the responsibilities of the Council, the General Assembly and other agencies of the United Nations system with respect to the tasks set out in the Charter. We were obliged to abstain in the voting on resolution 2183 (2014) as a matter of principle. We deem it unacceptable that Bosnia and Herzegovina should be urged to join the European Union and NATO through a decision of the Security Council on the basis of Chapter VII of the Charter. In future, responsibility for what happens in that country should be handed over to the Bosnians themselves, in strict compliance with the Dayton Peace Agreement and in view of the closing of the Office of the High Representative. During yesterday’s meeting on sanctions, we heard many crucial arguments, such as the exclusive prerogative of the Council to impose sanctions and not to allow unilateral restrictions on them, and that it is counterproductive to set up additional bureaucratic structures, be it at the State, inter-State or Secretariat level. After all, sanctions fall exclusively within the competence of the States Members of the United Nations. This past month, the Council took up the issue of the settlement of the internal conflict in Ukraine. Unfortunately, the meeting held on 12 November (see S/PV.7311) was used by those that proposed it for another round of propaganda rather than for a constructive quest for a way to resolve the crisis on the basis of the Minsk agreements. The situation in Donetsk and Luhansk remains tense. Thugs are still firing at buildings and infrastructure, and there are dozens of civilian casualties every day. The ceasefire regime is not being fully respected. Instead of withdrawing heavy weaponry, Ukrainian troops are, on the contrary, moving ever closer to the lines of demarcation. For example, on 22 November two Uragan rocket launchers were brought into the Debaltsevo region. We cannot remain silent about this kind of event. That is no doubt why the Kyiv authorities are becoming increasingly irritated by the Mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Ukrainian troops are regularly interfering with their observers, and this is absolutely inadmissible. Instead of establishing dialogue with the south- east, as was agreed in April in Geneva, Ukrainian authorities are breaking off communications with the people there. They have halted budget expenditures, including benefits and pensions, so those who are most defenceless in the population are now being deprived of the very basics of life just as winter approaches. Those living in Donbas have no medical care or common services. Schools are closed. There are no cultural events. There is a virtual blockade against them. This threatens to become a full-scale humanitarian catastrophe. The situation was made worse by Kyiv’s statement that it does not feel obliged to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms because it is involved in anti-terrorist operations. Yesterday, Donbas issued a statement to the international community and the Council regarding the situation, and they said outright that Kyiv has declared war, not on the rebels, but on the civilian population: women, old people and children. Those who encourage the Kyiv authorities to carry out such acts will bear a very heavy responsibility.

At the outset, we congratulate you, Mr. President, and your team on your leadership and presidency in the month of November. We welcome the convening of this public wrap-up session, which is a working practice that we would like to see continue. Let me begin by mentioning some of the highlights of our work in November. We will refer mainly to the issue of sanctions. Chile welcomes the Australian initiative to bring the issue of sanctions to the attention of the Security Council, which allowed us to reflect on and discuss elements for facilitating the effective implementation of sanctions. We recognize the specificity of each situation and each sanctions committee, but if they are to be effective, we must establish some harmonizing and common criteria to facilitate the implementation of sanctions, bearing in mind the different situations on the ground. We hope that a consensus will be achieved on the draft resolution proposed by Australia. Moreover, we reiterate the importance of ensuring due process. We value the attempts to make improvements in the listing and de-listing of persons and entities on the sanctions lists and the establishment of the post of focal point in resolution 1730 (2006). But that is not enough, and we therefore hope that we can make progress on extending the mandate of the Ombudsperson of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities to other sanctions committees. As Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1572 (2004) concerning Côte d’Ivoire, I had the opportunity to lead the Committee’s visit to that country. That showed me how important field visits are for obtaining a more complete and detailed view of the situation in a country subject to sanctions by the Security Council. We believe it is crucial to encourage such missions in order to avoid gaps between what is resolved in New York and what actually happens on the ground. As only non-permanent members of the Council assume responsibility for chairing such subsidiary bodies for one or two years, a bigger budget for such visits is advisable, so that more delegations can participate in field visits. We reiterate that the perspective gained by field visits is irreplaceable. Another landmark area of work of the Security Council this month was the briefing (S/PV.7317) and the unanimous adoption of resolution 2185 (2014) on the role of police in peacekeeping and peacebuilding in post- conflict situations. It allowed for an interesting debate on how to support host States in reaching agreements and overcoming conflicts. The format that was followed generated an exchange of information that we consider useful in the Council’s work, as it provides first-hand knowledge of the challenges, visions and fears of police forces in the field. We call, as the resolution indicates, for such meetings to continue to be held in the future. An analysis of this month’s work would be incomplete if it did not highlight the aspects that we feel need improvement. It is essential that when analysing the various situations under consideration by the Security Council, we do so from a perspective that considers the situation on the ground and recognize the specificity of each subject based on its own merits, thus preventing other agenda items from affecting the relevant discussions. With regard to issues that it seems appropriate to follow-up in the future, it seems that the situation in South Sudan is one of them. We welcome the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), which will, among other things, continue to provide protection to the civilian population affected by that conflict. That is a document that we support and welcome. However, we regret that no concrete progress has been evident recently in the implementation of the ceasefire agreement or in reaching a political resolution of the serious situation in the country. Of special concern are the worrying signs that the fighting could begin again, at the end of the rainy season, thereby aggravating the conflict and deepening the already dire humanitarian crisis. We acknowledge the efforts of UNMISS in fulfilling its mandate to protect the civilian population, but we would like to emphasize the obligation to respect the inviolability of United Nations facilities. In addition, the humanitarian situations in several countries that have been considered this month highlighted the importance of ensuring that humanitarian workers and staff from the various missions deployed are granted freedom of movement and access to all areas needed to fulfil their mission, be it humanitarian or for protection or verification. Finally, we wish success to our colleagues in the delegation of Chad, and we pledge our support to their presidency in the month of December.

As I am the lucky thirteenth speaker in this session, I do not have much to say. However, I would like to join all the previous speakers in extending our thanks and appreciation to you, Mr. President and all the members of your team for the able and successful manner in which you conducted the Council’s business this month. I would like briefly to express our appreciation for Australia’s leadership during the open debate held to discuss international cooperation in the field of combating terrorism (see S/PV.7316) and Australia’s work on the comprehensive review of sanctions regimes. We also value Australia’s initiative to hold a debate on the role of the police components of peacekeeping operations (see S/PV.7317), which culminated in the adoption of resolution 2185 (2014). In conclusion, I would like to welcome the Chadian presidency and to wish it every success in conducting the Council’s business next month.

I thank you and your team very much, Mr. President. Like the rest of my colleagues, I wish to acknowledge your work, not only during the month of your presidency, but throughout the two years we have shared on the Council. It is clear that we do not take the same view on all matters, and that is good, but we have learned to engage in dialogue and respect our differences. You brought that same spirit to your presidency — the spirit of your delegation and your country, a democratic country capable of dialogue. It is a spirit of listening to different positions and of launching initiatives of great value and interest for your delegation so as to fulfil the responsibility we all have as members of this Council, and to fulfil it without lowering the standard, but to prioritize, seek and work tirelessly to attain consensus. This is how the Council makes progress. A lack of consensus in the Council means there will be more victims in the real world. Therefore, we want to note that our appreciation is not only for one month, but for a shared experience. We also welcome the present wrap-up session. Ten members of the Council convened such wrap-up sessions during their presidencies in 2014, and we hope that the practice can continue, as I have said before, so as to continue building confidence and not only change the programme a little, but build trust among the membership so that they may come to participate in the knowledge that they are not merely passive spectators but equal protagonists in the international community. November — as everyone has noted and as my team and I myself agree — has been an intense month with the numerous obligatory activities, such as mandate renewals and meetings required by prior decisions of the Council, in addition to emergency meetings and the three valuable initiatives of the presidency: counter-terrorism, police components in peacekeeping operations, and sanctions. As it would be imprudent to talk about all of them, I will focus on Australia’s three initiatives. The open debate on terrorism (see S/PV.7316) led by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia, to whom we convey our greetings once again, stressed that today the threat posed by terrorisms — and I am speaking in the plural — is once again at the centre of the attention of the Council, of the mass media, of the international community and of the collective fear. That threat is at the centre of the measures to prevent the extension of that horror. However, we also have also understood that it is not the terrorism of the past that is returning to the centre of our attention. It has become much more complex in terms of how it operates. It has multiple configurations and it uses sophisticated and innovative channels to induce terror in the peoples the world over. These are forms of violence whose roots we are not yet fully able to grasp. It is not enough to say that they are fanatics. We cannot simply say that they appeared overnight with such determination. We are talking about individuals from developed countries joining terrorist groups to fight in poor countries  — extremely poor countries, decimated by conflict. Within the Security Council and elsewhere, we must therefore reflect profoundly  — which will require more time than the five minutes established by note S/2010/507  — on what is going on. Why are these terrorisms ensnaring ever younger individuals, including women and children, as noted by the representative of Luxembourg, and using them to commit heinous acts? Argentina’s conviction, as we expressed in the debate, is that while the response to the terrorisms, including the new challenge of the recruitment and participation of foreign terrorist fighters, requires a military component, we cannot reduce the matter to that. We failed when we reduced the fight against terrorism to the military dimension alone. We still need, at the present juncture of military action, to fight terrorism in the framework of the rule of law and with respect for due process. Measures adopted by States to fight terrorism must fully respect international law, in particular international human rights and humanitarian law and refugee law. Such measures must also respect the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, such as sovereignty, territorial integrity, the political independence of States and the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of States. The second issue is your decision, Mr. President, to convene the first-ever meeting of the Security Council on United Nations police (see S/PV.7317), at which the first resolution on the same topic (resolution 2185 (2014)) was adopted. This is an issue to which Argentina attaches enormous importance, being our region’s leading contributor of police observers to United Nations peacekeeping operations. We hope that you, Sir, have sowed a seed that will bear fruit in the years to come, receiving the attention it deserves in the Council. We believe that resolution 2185 (2014) provides an important description of the evolving and growing relevance of the role that police components play in peacekeeping missions, in particular in the protection of civilians. We welcome the resolution’s reaffirmation of the role that police components can play in facilitating the participation and inclusion of women in conflict resolution and peacebuilding, as well as the need to increase the number of women police deployed and the coordination of police components with advisers on the protection of women and children. Unfortunately, however, we are concerned at the lack of specific mention in the text of the resolution of the mandate of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, which is the only forum in the United Nations entrusted with the broad consideration of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects, including measures to improve the capacity of the Organization to carry out such operations. The Secretary-General should therefore take that mandate fully into account when developing and implementing standards, guidelines and procedures for improving the activities of peacekeeping operations, including those of police components. Thirdly and finally, we highlight Australia’s proposal to consider measures aimed at improving the quality and consistency of the assistance that the United Nations system provides to the Council, its committees and expert groups and, in turn, at improving the quality and consistency of the assistance the Council provides to Member States in the implementation of sanctions. It will be recalled that at April’s wrap-up session (S/PV.7166), I said that, as the Security Council appears to be moving more resolutely towards using sanctions in a more responsible way, it is essential that we look at what we can do in order better to preserve international peace and security. With respect to sanctions, on this rainy day I agree with most members of the Council and with you, Sir, that something has to be done about sanctions. When it is raining we use umbrellas. If we use umbrellas with holes in them, we know we are going to get wet. What do I mean by that? We complain and set up sanctions and then those sanctions are not complied with, so either we change umbrellas or we face up to the storm and try not just sanctions as the only way to go, but we put on the table the various alternatives available to the Council. Argentina will certainly continue to maintain its position on our proposal for extending the mandate of the Office of the Ombudsperson to other persons and entities included in the lists of the all the sanctions committees. I am not saying that the spirit in the Council is like an umbrella without holes, but sometimes there is a feeling that sanctions are selective and random, and that there is a certain kind of punitive arbitrariness. Speaking of punitive arbitrariness, in my region and in my country, when our democracy was less democratic our penal system caused poor people, immigrants, people of African origin and young people to be thrown in prison. The jails were full of such people. We began to realize that this selective, arbitrary and punitive system did not strengthen peace or the democracy of social cohesion. Therefore, having improved these punitive systems in the very heart of our countries, I think that we have to really think sincerely and fairly about the necessary meaning of sanctions. I believe that they are necessary, but they also have to be legitimate and not just arbitrary. Mr. President, I would like to thank you and your team. I would like to welcome the new delegations. It is like in restaurants, when the tables are full, there are always people standing in line to sit down. I see six Venezuelans waiting up there. I give them my seat. I welcome them. I welcome all the new countries that are going to be non-permanent members of the Security Council. It is indeed a challenging responsibility. I would like to thank Ambassador Quinlan for this final meeting as President of the Security Council and for his professionalism and his sense of institutional ethics. Finally, I would like to extend to Chad my very best wishes for good luck in December, a month in which many of us, believers and non-believers alike, celebrate the desire for peace on Earth. I hope we will have a peaceful month. I would like to address a comment made by a colleague. It is true that the new members will find that Africa takes up a lot of our time on our agenda. Violent zones, organized poverty and conflict are all found more in Africa than anywhere else. It is true that there are very complex political situations, power struggles, new violence and old, but it is also true that Africa must stop being the object of daily unrestrained greed for profit and body-shopping.

China wishes to thank you, Mr. President, for convening today’s meeting. November has proved to be a very busy month. The Council has adopted resolutions extending the mandates of the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (resolution 2187 (2014)) and the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea- Bissau (resolution 2186 (2014)); on fighting piracy off the Somali coast (resolution 2182 (2014)); and on the stabilization forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina (resolution 2183 (2014)). The Council also adopted resolution 2185 (2014) on United Nations policing, and issued presidential statements on the Ebola outbreak in West Africa (S/PRST/2014/24), counter-terrorism (S/PRST/2014/23) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (S/PRST/2014/22). China commends the Australian presidency for its successful conduct of the work of the Council for this month. With regard to the Council’s work for November, I wish to stress the following three points. First, on the situation in the Middle East, 24 November was the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. This day reminds the international community once again of the urgent need to find a solution to the question of Palestine. Recently, tension has been growing between Palestine and Israel which China finds very worrisome. We call upon the parties to exercise restraint and urge Israel to immediately stop the construction of settlements and treat seriously the legitimate concerns of Palestine, the Arab States and the Islamic world with respect to the religious sanctuary in East Jerusalem and avoid any words or actions that might further escalate the situation. The relevant parties, working on behalf of the international community, should strengthen coordination and work in synergy to bring the parties back to the right path of talks and negotiations. It is imperative that the Council take the required responsibility; inaction can no longer be an option. China calls for swift Council action towards holding consultations on the draft resolution submitted by Jordan on behalf of the Arab States so as to respond to their legitimate demands and those of Palestine. China joins the international community in continuing to work constructively towards a solution for the question of Palestine. Secondly, on the question of Burundi, the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Office in Burundi (BINUB) is coming to an end at the end of next month. During the past few years, BINUB has worked actively to help the Government of Burundi to carry out peacebuilding, reconstruction and economic and social development efforts. We hope that BINUB will strengthen its coordination with the Government so as to achieve a successful transition from the Integrated Office to the United Nations country team. At the same time, we call upon the international community to continue to provide assistance to Burundi in preparation for next year’s general election on the basis of full respect for Burundi’s sovereignty. Thirdly, this month the Council held an open debate on the question of counter-terrorism (see S/PV.7316) and adopted a presidential statement at the end of the meeting. China commends Australia for that initiative and for the efforts it has carried out in that connection. At present, the international counter-terrorism landscape remains very grim. The means of recruiting and financing terrorist organizations have become more internationalized, with young people joining their ranks and a greater reliance on digital technology. China calls upon the international community to abandon double standards in fighting terrorism, observe the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the countries concerned. It is vital that the United Nations and the Security Council play a leading role and undertake effective measures to prevent terrorist organizations from using the Internet to broadcast terrorist and violent audiovisual materials, spread extremist ideology, recruit new members, raise funds, instigate plans and execute terrorist actions. China supports the international community’s efforts in strengthening exchanges of information and intelligence, sharing effective practices, enhancing capacity-building and taking joint actions in order to maintain international peace and security. Finally, I wish to express my best wishes to Chad for its assumption of the presidency for the month of December.

The Council has now concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. Before adjourning the meeting, however, as this is the last scheduled meeting of the Council for the month of November, I would like to say how much the entire Australian team and I have appreciated the cooperation, the collegiality and even the empathy we have received from all of our colleagues in Council. We express our thanks and gratitude for all the assistance and support we have received from the Security Council Affairs Division, on which we have relied for its professionalism, hard work and diligence, and to all the other personnel in Conference Services and other parts of the Secretariat, including our security personnel. They have all been a very efficient and a friendly part of our Council team. I thank the interpreters, who have often had to give us just that additional bit of time in longer meetings. As our presidency will end in the next few days, I know I speak on behalf of all the Council members in wishing the delegation of Chad a very good presidency in the month of December. I will not say just, “Good luck”, because although we wish that, of course, I think it is very obvious to all of us that, in its preparations for the month of December, the Chadian delegation has shown that it is not relying on good luck alone. So we look forward to a very constructive and very productive month. I know that the delegation of Chad can expect the completely uninhibited support of all Council members.