Aug22017

Speech: “The Arms Trade Treaty will remain central to the United Kingdom’s approach to preventing irresponsible trafficking in arms”

HM Government

Thank you Mr President.

And I would like to begin by expressing my thanks to Jieyi and his team for a very successful Presidency last month. And to welcome Vassily to the Security Council; our new Russian colleague. And I’d like to wish you, Amr, all the very best for the month ahead as President of the Council.

And you’ve certainly got us off to a flying start with the unanimous adoption of Resolution 2370 today which the United Kingdom is very pleased to support.

And I hope that you have started the month as you mean to go on, because there is a lot to do together and we need to maintain the unity and activism of this morning as we grapple the challenges of the month ahead. And there is no greater challenge, Mr President, than the unrelenting scourge of terrorism.

It is a threat that we all face; a threat that we must all unite to defeat. Through this text, we have committed to take practical steps to do just that, first by stopping terrorists’ deadly use of explosive devices, and second by stopping their illegal supply of small arms and light weapons.

We need only look to Mosul, Mr President, to its ruined buildings and ruined lives, to see that these weapons and explosives are crucial enablers of the brutality of groups like Daesh.

Over three years Daesh used small arms and light weapons and explosive devices to impose their sick ideology on the people of Mosul, systematically persecuting anyone who dared to stand in their way. Three years on, thanks to the bravery of the Iraqi Security Forces, Daesh have now been defeated in Mosul. But not content with years of brutality, Daesh have left behind a bitter, bloody legacy for those returning home; a city littered with booby traps and other improvised explosive devices.

Make no mistake the indiscriminate use of these devices goes against the basic tenets of International Humanitarian Law and the basic tenets of human decency.

And that’s why the United Kingdom is committed to developing practical approaches that reduce the use and availability of improvised explosive devices. It’s why we’ve committed to spend $129 million over the next three years to tackle the problem of IEDs, explosive remnants of war, and landmines. And it’s why we’re committed to developing an effective and informed network across the international community; one that helps track key components and prevents the manufacture of these devices.

In parallel, we need to do more to combat the illicit trafficking, and crucially, the diversion, of small arms and light weapons. It’s not enough to just investigate and dispose of illicit weapons. We must also prevent the moment when a legal weapon becomes diverted for illegal use.

The Arms Trade Treaty remains the most important instrument at our disposal to do that. It’s a robust, effective, legally-binding Treaty; one that took years to agree. We must utilise it to its fullest extent, drawing on its transparent and consistent standards to regulate the global arms trade.

So I strongly urge all States to join the Arms Trade Treaty. This Council has already made a call to the international community to consider signing and ratifying this vital instrument, captured in the most comprehensive resolution adopted on small arms and lights weapons; 2220.

I deeply regret that we were unable today to repeat unanimously that call. But rest assured; the Arms Trade Treaty will remain central to the United Kingdom’s approach to preventing irresponsible trafficking in arms.

Before I give up the floor, Mr President, I think it’s important to recognise that the words in this resolution are only as good as their implementation outside this chamber.

As an example, it’s simply not good enough to express our support for arms embargoes mandated by the Security Council in this resolution if we are unwilling to make them a reality in areas of genuine need around the world.

If you look at South Sudan, last year this Council had a real chance to take steps to lessen the carnage caused by the uncontrolled flow of weapons there. And yet, when we voted to impose an arms embargo, we failed. The United Kingdom maintains that it is long past time for us to return to that issue. And when we do, I hope that we will channel some of the fervour for arms embargoes that we’ve found in this resolution today.

Thank you.

Aug22017

Amid ‘political impasse’ in Burundi, Security Council urges all parties to cease violence

United Nations

2 August 2017 – The United Nations Security Council today expressed &#8220deep concern&#8221 over the political situation in Burundi &#8211 including increasing numbers of refugees and reports of torture, forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings &#8211 and strongly urged the Government and all parties to immediately cease and reject such violence.

In a statement read out by Ambassador Amr Abdellatif Aboulatta of Egypt, which holds the Council presidency for August, the 15-nation body underscored deep concern regarding the continued worsening humanitarian situation, &#8220marked by nearly 202,000 internally displaced persons, three million people in need and more than 416,000 Burundians seeking refuge in neighbouring countries […] resulting from the country’s persisting political impasse.&#8221

The Council commended the host countries for their efforts, and regional governments &#8220to respect their international obligations relating to the status of refugees, and to ensure that their return is voluntary, based on informed decisions and in safety and dignity.&#8221

It also strongly condemned all public statements inciting violence or hatred towards different groups, &#8220including calls for forced impregnation of women and girls&#8221 and urged the Government and all parties to cease all violence and to condemn any hate speech.

The Security Council stressed that the prevailing situation has &#8220seriously undermined&#8221 the gains achieved through the 2000 Arusha Agreement, with &#8220devastating consequences for Burundi and the region as a whole.&#8221

The Council reiterated its intention to pursue targeted measures against all actors, both inside and outside of the country, who threaten the peace and security of Burundi and underlined &#8220the utmost importance of respecting the letter and the spirit of the Arusha Agreement&#8221 that has helped to sustain a decade of peace in in the nation.

&#8220The Security Council urges the Government of Burundi to reengage with international partners, especially the United Nations, in a constructive manner based on mutual trust,&#8221 the statement said.

In that regard, the Council reiterated its concern over significant delays in the deployment of African Union human rights observers and military experts, noting that only 40 of the former and eight of the latter had been deployed to Burundi so far.

Reaffirming the Government’s primary responsibility for ensuring security in its territory and protecting its population, with respect for the rule of law, human rights and international humanitarian law, it also called on States in the region to contribute to a solution to the crisis in Burundi and to refrain from supporting the activities of armed movements in any way.

Aug22017

Adopting new resolution, UN Security Council moves to thwart terrorists’ access to weapons

United Nations

2 August 2017 – The United Nations Security Council today unanimously adopted a resolution aimed at preventing terrorists from acquiring weapons, particularly small arms and light weapons, the &#8220destabilizing accumulation and misuse&#8221 of which the 15-member body said &#8220continue to pose threats to international peace and security and cause significant loss of life.&#8221

The Council &#8220strongly condemned&#8221 the continued flow of weapons, military equipment, unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) and their components, and improvised explosive device (IED) components to and between the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh), Al-Qaida, their affiliates, and associated groups, illegal armed groups and criminals.

UN Member States were encouraged to prevent and disrupt procurement networks for weapons, systems and components between and among such groups and entities. Member States were specifically urged to ensure the ability to take appropriate legal actions against those who are knowingly engaged in providing terrorists with weapons and to ensure proper physical security and management for stockpiles of small arms and light weapons.

It also encouraged the implementation of marking and tracing procedures of small arms and light weapons to improve traceability of such weapons which could be provided to terrorists through illicit trafficking.

UN Member States were also urged to strengthen their judicial, law enforcement and border-control capacities, and develop their capabilities to investigate arms-trafficking networks in order to address the link between transnational organized crime and terrorism.

The Council also called on all States to consider becoming party to the related international and regional instruments, with a view to help eliminate the supply of weapons to terrorists, and to fully implement their respective obligations under those to which they are a party.

Before the adoption of the text, three leading UN officials involved in counter-terrorism, briefed the Council on the complex efforts being undertaken by multiple agencies and committees to fulfil the Organization’s promise to take an &#8220all-of-UN&#8221 approach to tackle terrorism and the prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons.

Jehangir Khan, the Officer-in-Charge of the newly created UN Counter-Terrorism Office, told Council members that &#8220the spectre of terrorists acquiring lethal technologies and new weapons, including weapons of mass destruction, poses a serious threat to international peace and security.&#8221

This initiative goes to the heart of the Secretary-General’s efforts to make prevention the core mission of the United Nations.Jehangir Khan

Welcoming the consideration of the resolution before the Council today, he said &#8220this initiative goes to the heart of the Secretary-General’s efforts to make prevention the core mission of the United Nations.&#8221

For his part, the Deputy Director of the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), Weixiong Chen, explained how the resolution would add further tasks to CTED’s mandate.

Citing a wide range of vulnerabilities in the mechanism to prevent terrorists’ access to weapons, he stressed the need for further efforts, such as reviewing and strengthening national legislation on countering the supply and trafficking of weapons to terrorists and preventing the flow of weapons to conflict-affected regions and conflict zones.

&#8220Preventing and eliminating the supply of weapons to terrorists is a complex task,&#8221 he said. &#8220But please rest assured that CTED will continue to strengthen its engagement with its UN and international and regional partners, in accordance with the relevant Council resolutions, to assist Member States to deny terrorists access to weapons.&#8221

Preventing and eliminating the supply of weapons to terrorists is a complex taskWeixiong Chen

Speaking via video-teleconference from Vienna, Austria, Yury Fedotov, the Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), stressed the importance of cross-border partnerships.

He cited many challenges with preventing, detecting, investigating and successfully prosecuting illicit trafficking in weapons, including inadequate regulatory environments and data collection; lack of specialized skills and equipment; and lack of coordination within and between countries and regions.

&#8220Looking ahead, we need to (further strengthen cross-border partnerships and operational responses, promote the involvement of diverse stakeholders, including the private sector, and step up tailored assistance to address gaps in capacity,&#8221 he said.

UNODC remains fully engaged in providing comprehensive support through its integrated country, regional and global programmes and network of field offices, in coordination with UN partners as well as partners such as the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL).

Emmanuel Roux, Special Representative of INTERPOL to the United Nations, also delivered a statement on behalf of the body’s Secretary-General, Jürgen Stock.

Mr. Roux highlighted the importance of tracing weapons back to their sources. &#8220Traditionally, investigations would end at this point, with the seizure of a firearm. INTERPOL suggests that the recovery of a weapon is just the beginning,&#8221 he explained, stressing the need to strengthen and integrate border management to prevent the mobility of the individuals using weapons, such as foreign terrorist fighters.

&#8220The capabilities I have described hold enormous potential in assisting law enforcement officers to prevent terrorist access to weapons,&#8221 he said, asking delegations to reach back to their respective capitals and national security services, to &#8220inquire whether this potential is being maximized, at a time of unprecedented threat.&#8221