Put simply, sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers must stop. It exploits the vulnerability of the very people they have been sent
to protect and is a fundamental betrayal of trust. It undermines the credibility of peacekeeping operations and the legitimacy of the United Nations.
The Secret…
I would like to begin by commending Special Representative of the Secretary- General Zerrougui and UNICEF for their tireless efforts on behalf of children affected by armed conflict around the world. That some 115,000 child soldiers have been released since the beginning of the Special Representativ…
The scale and pace of challenges facing the Security Council today must bolster our resolve to ensure that the Council is as agile and effective as possible. I will focus on three key areas of working methods reform, namely, transparency, the use of the veto, and early warning and prevention of conf…
I should like to join others in thanking the Secretary-General for his report on Afghanistan (S/2016/532), the Permanent Representative of Afghanistan for his statement, and Special Representative of the Secretary-General Nicholas Haysom for his briefing. Australia is deeply grateful to Special Repr…
I would first like to thank all member States for their active engagement on resolution A/70/L.53 and address special thanks to the sponsors.
The idea that we can understand some challenges and opportunities if we consider them through a tropics lens is one that resonates strongly for Australia. Th…
The Secretary-General’s May report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict (S/2016/447)is a grim illustration of the huge number of civilians whose lives are being devastated by conflict. Protecting civilians is the primary responsibility of Governments, a fundamental principle of internati…
It is distressing that, in the twenty-first century, the scourge of human trafficking and slavery not only remains one of the gravest dangers facing women and girls in conflict zones around the world, but that it is on the rise. As highlighted in the Secretary-General’s report (S/2016/361), a key dr…
Terrorism is one of the critical challenges of our time. As terrorist groups such as Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have expanded their reach and influence, it is evident that many find their narratives and tactics appealing. Countering that appeal and preventing the spread of violent i…
Let me start by thanking Ambassadors Olof Skoog and Macharia Kamau for their statements and by acknowledging the important work undertaken by the Peacebuilding Commission and the Peacebuilding Fund in 2015.
The work of the Peacebuilding Commission and the Fund is fundamental to our efforts to build…
Conflicts are profoundly gendered experiences. Australia therefore commends the ongoing efforts of the United Nations and the African Union to secure the full and effective participation of women at all stages of the prevention, resolution and management of conflicts and post- conflict reconstructio…
The history of conflict in the Great Lakes region underscores the fact that the trajectory towards peace is rarely linear. Burundi is a prime example. Today a country that had just begun to heal from the wounds of its civil war is again facing renewed conflict. Australia is deeply concerned about th…
We welcome the unanimous adoption today of resolution 2274 (2016), extending the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
The year ahead brings with it both opportunities and significant challenges for Afghanistan and the international community that stands with it. …
As we meet today in the Security Council, we all know — all too well — how fleeting peace can be. As the Secretary-General has reminded us time and again, countries that experience armed conflict often remain at risk of relapsing into violence for years after the conflict has ended. Some 90 per cent…
Mr. President, we greatly value the partnership Australia has had with Uruguay over the past seven years on the protection of civilians, and we welcome your leadership on this issue in your first month on the Council.
As the human cost for civilians caught up in conflict continues to climb, we must…
This Security Council debate comes at the end of a difficult year for Afghanistan. The National Unity Government, under the leadership of President Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah, has confronted a determined insurgency, significant economic challenges and the imperative tasks of reform and count…
Australia welcomes the upcoming adoption of this year’s General Assembly humanitarian draft resolutions. Today, we must accept that the humanitarian system is buckling under the strain of crises at a scale never envisaged. The crises in Syria, Iraq, the Central African Republic, Yemen, Somalia and S…
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum members represented at the United Nations, namely, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and my own countr…
As we approach the end of 2015, the challenges facing the National Unity Government of Afghanistan and its international partners are as real as ever, but so too is progress in delivering results for the Afghan people.
The National Unity Government, under the leadership of President Ghani and Chief…
The scale of the human tragedy requires the international community to maintain its focus on that issue. The cost of the conflict in Syria is borne by the hundreds of thousands who have lost their lives, the millions more displaced, and by a generation of children facing interrupted schooling, under…
It is well understood that prevention is always better than cure. Conflict prevention was the reason that the United Nations was created, yet it remains a predominantly crisis- driven Organization, reliant on traditional response mechanisms that are straining to meet increasing need, particularly as…
