I warmly welcome Uruguay’s initiative to hold today’s debate. The number of speakers is a clear sign of the urgency and importance of today’s subject.
Over the past 40 years, progress has been made in establishing international norms to enhance the protection of civilians and to make sure that perp…
I welcome the Security Council’s focus on the practice of human trafficking in situations of conflict and displacement.
Let us first be clear on what we are discussing today: human trafficking is slavery in the modern age. Slavery is not just a past abomination; millions of people are living as sla…
The situation in eastern Ukraine remains tense and volatile. Since the ceasefire began on 1 September, fighting throughout the conflict zone has generally subsided. However, in recent weeks, sporadic fighting has resumed, with varying degrees of intensity, around parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk reg…
The Israeli- Palestinian conflict has once again entered a dangerous phase. The eruption of violence gripping the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as Israel and Gaza, shows no signs of abating. Between 1 and 21 October, 47 Palestinians and 7 Israelis have been killed, and more t…
When people think about the United Nations, they often think of the Security Council. On it rests a heavy responsibility: to maintain international peace and security in a troubled, complex and interconnected world. The expectations of the Council and the United Nations as a whole are high around th…
One of the greatest missions of the United Nations is the prevention of genocide. The horrors of the past and the dangers of the present remind us of the importance of that mission. The genocide at Srebrenica was one of the darkest chapters in recent history. In three days, family and community memb…
I am honoured to speak at today’s discussion on the culture of peace and the very serious topic of the draft resolution before us today, “Saving the cultural heritage of Iraq” (A/69/L.71). I would like to thank the Governments and delegations of Iraq and Germany for this initiative. The number of sp…
I thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to address the Security Council on the protection of journalists in conflict situations. This issue is fundamentally about the right to information, protection of civilians, respect for human rights and not giving in to threats and intimidation from t…
I thank you, Mr. President, for giving me this opportunity to brief the Council on the Secretary-General’s report on peacebuilding in the aftermath of conflict (S/2014/694). The report reminds us that peacebuilding is at the core of United Nations aims and ambitions. The challenges and responses des…
I am Jan Eliasson. I am the Deputy Secretary-General, and I send warm greetings from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has been closely following the historic World Conference on Indigenous People, together with me and all our colleagues. We welcome representatives warmly to New York to this import…
I would like to thank the President of the Security Council for this initiative to mark World Humanitarian Day with a briefing on the protection of humanitarian workers. The subject is critical to mobilizing awareness and action and to improving our response to people caught in conflicts and disaste…
I deliver this statement on behalf of the Secretary-General.
“Since the outbreak of the war in Syria, I have persistently called for accountability for perpetrators of grave human rights violations, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The recent attacks against humanitarian convoys and personne…
I want first to commend the Republic of Korea for convening this open debate on resolution 1540 (2004). Let us recognize that in its first 10 years, this landmark
resolution has accomplished a great deal. Resolution 1540 (2004) has helped us make important inroads against the proliferation of nucle…
“The genocide in Rwanda is one of the darkest chapters in human history”. Those are the words of the Secretary-General — deeply moved — spoken in Kigali last week.
Today we remember the victims and the survivors as we continue to work to achieve justice for them and to prevent genocide and other ma…
At today’s important meeting commemorating the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, I am honoured to share with the General Assembly a message from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
I applaud the Assembly for its focus on the state of racial discrimination worldwide. I would…
Thank you for organizing this timely debate, Madam President. I know how committed and experienced you and several of your colleagues on the Council are to the work of the Peacebuilding Commission.
Peacebuilding encompasses a variety of political and development actions by United Nations peacekeepi…
Since the Council was briefed yesterday by Assistant Secretary-General Fernández-Taranco (see S/PV.7123), there have been reports of continued serious developments in Ukraine. In Crimea, key sites such as airports, communications and public buildings, including the regional parliament, reportedly co…
I am very glad to see such a big room and such a great attendance.
Before I deliver my formal remarks I want to tell you a story. I was once giving some speeches and lectures on human rights in my home country, Sweden, and a woman who saw me on television sent me a brochure that she had kept in her…
Today the world is united in mourning the passing of a most remarkable man. A few moments ago, the United Nations flag was lowered outside this Hall and at all United Nations duty stations around the world in honour of Nelson Mandela. I know that the thoughts of the Secretary-General, who is travell…
I thank you, Sir, for this opportunity to brief the Council on the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Central AfricanRepublic.
We face a profoundly important test of international solidarity and of our responsibility to prevent atrocities. A country in the heart of Africa is descending into com…
