Ministry Statements & Speeches:
Mr. President,
Aotearoa New Zealand welcomes the convening of the General Assembly for this special Veto Initiative session.
New Zealand has opposed the veto from its inception. We remain strong in our conviction that there is no place for this undemocratic and anachronistic device at the UN, especially when it is used in the pursuit of national interest.
We are here today because a callous use of the veto prevented the Council from fulfilling its responsibility. Russia’s veto of a humanitarian resolution undermines the Council’s credibility.
The resolution proposed by Ireland and Norway enjoyed the support of 13 members of the Council. A clear majority.
The vetoed resolution contained elements necessary to ease human suffering in Syria, and was in line with international humanitarian law and the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. It provided operational certainty for implementing organisations on the ground. It was, in short, a good humanitarian resolution.
New Zealand commends the work of Norway and Ireland, as well as the tireless work of the UN, led by OCHA. We applaud the humanitarian partners delivering assistance where it is most needed, often in dangerous conditions.
The Russian Federation’s choice to block this humanitarian resolution has caused unnecessary delay and uncertainty in providing crucial humanitarian assistance.
We have listened to Russia, and are not convinced by their explanations. We hope they are listening to us.
We acknowledge that ultimately the mechanism was renewed, allowing humanitarian assistance to continue crossing at Bab Al Hawa. But the fact that the renewal was only for six months has reduced the operational certainty that humanitarian actors need for their lifesaving activities.
It also means that the cross-border mandate will need to be renewed again in January – the middle of winter, just when people will need cross-border assistance the most.
We all know the dire humanitarian situation in Syria. The Secretary-General’s report is clear on how critical the cross-border mechanism is. The report also spells out that aid is strictly monitored, and delivered in a transparent way.
New Zealand is appalled that people and aid organisations may again face uncertainty and fear, because of the abuse of the veto by one permanent member of the Security Council. We sincerely urge the Council to promptly and unanimously renew the cross-border mechanism before it expires in January.
New Zealand is a strong proponent of the Veto Initiative, and we hope that these meetings will encourage Council members to compromise for the collective good.
We also agree with and wish to reiterate the point made by Liechtenstein that when the Security Council is unable to act, the General Assembly can play a constructive role in finding potential ways forward.
We reiterate that the General Assembly can take its own decisions on the question in front of it, if it so chooses - resolution 76/262 is not prescriptive in this regard.
Thank you.