Ambassador Cherith Norman Chalet U.S. Representative for UN Management and Reform U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York, NY October 18, 2019 AS DELIVERED Thank you Mr. Chairman. We appreciate the President of the General Assembly being here with us. I would like to thank Ms. Catherine Pollard, Under-Secretary General for DMSPC for her …

Jordyn Arndt Adviser U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York, NY October 17, 2019 AS DELIVERED Thank you, Special Rapporteur Marin, for your report.  The United States regrets the Government of Belarus’ continued non-recognition of your mandate. We remain concerned by the Government of Belarus’ efforts to restrict human rights and fundamental freedoms, particularly …

Emily R. Pierce, Counselor United States Mission to the United Nations New York, NY October 17, 2019 AS DELIVERED Thank you, Chair. We would like to thank the Secretary-General, the Internal Justice Council, and the Office of the United Nations Ombudsperson and Mediation Services for their reports. This year marks ten years since the United …

Emily R. Pierce Counselor United States Mission to the United Nations New York, NY October 17, 2019 AS DELIVERED Thank you, Chair. We welcome this opportunity to provide a few observations on the report of the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization, …

Ambassador Kelly Craft Permanent Representative U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York, NY October 17, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Today’s election of the former Maduro regime in Venezuela to the UN Human Rights Council is an embarrassment to the United Nations and a tragedy for the people of Venezuela. I am personally aggrieved that …

Jason Mack Counselor U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York, NY October 17, 2019 AS DELIVERED Chairperson Duhaime, the United States thanks you and the Working Group on Enforced Disappearances for your work on this important issue. The chilling and devastating effect of enforced disappearances in a society cannot be overstated – these acts …

Charles Bentley Adviser U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York, NY October 16, 2019 AS DELIVERED Special Rapporteur Ní Aoláin, thank you for your work. The protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms is complementary to and a necessary component of effective counterterrorism measures. Efforts to counter terrorism that do not respect …

John Giordano Public Delegate U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York, NY October 16, 2019 AS DELIVERED Thank you, Special Rapporteur García-Sayán, for your report. The United States recognizes the importance that, as for everyone, the rights of freedom of expression, religion or belief, association, and peaceful assembly are safeguarded for judges and prosecutors …

As we indicated in 2016, the United States shares the view that where the draft articles on diplomatic protection reflect State practice, they represent a substantial contribution to the law on the topic and are thus valuable to States in their current form.

Courtney R. Nemroff Acting U.S. Representative to ECOSOC U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York, NY October 15, 2019 AS DELIVERED Good morning. Thank you, Mr. President. We would like to thank the co-facilitators, Bahamas and Sweden, for their leadership on this High-level Political Forum (HLPF) resolution. Today the United States is pleased to …

Courtney R. Nemroff Acting U.S. Representative to ECOSOC U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York, NY October 15, 2019 AS DELIVERED Thank you, Mr. Forst, for your report on the situation of human rights defenders, which thoroughly lays out how impunity compounds violations against defenders, impedes respect for human rights, and erodes the rule …

The United States reminds member states that affording the right of peaceful assembly and association does not weaken countries, but actually strengthens governance and respects the fundamental freedoms we have all recognized enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The United States is proud to continue its support for much of OHCHR’s programming with significant voluntary contributions, as we recognize that OHCHR initiatives, and in many instances your role as High Commissioner, can prove critical to states honoring the unalienable human rights possessed by every individual.

Sofija Korac Adviser U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York, NY October 14, 2019 AS DELIVERED Thank you, Chair. The US applauds the adoption of a mechanism to prevent, monitor and follow up to cases of reprisal against civil society organizations, human rights defenders, victims and witnesses after their engagement with the treaty body …

Sofija Korac Adviser U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York, NY October 14, 2019 AS DELIVERED Thank you, Chair. We thank SR Melzer for his work on this critical issue. The United States remains appalled by the many instances of torture around the globe. We are deeply concerned by reports of violence in Cameroon …

Mordica Simpson Adviser U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York, NY October 14, 2019 AS DELIVERED Thank you, Mr. Chair and thank you, Mr. Fathalla, for your presentation of the report of the Human Rights Committee. We note the Committee’s increasing backlog of individual communications, which has doubled from 2011 to 2018, according to …

The draft articles on the responsibility of States for internationally wrongful acts, with commentaries, were adopted in 2001. Since that time, they have been relied upon by States and other litigants, as well as by international courts and tribunals, as providing guidance on the customary international law of state responsibility.

Julian Simcock Deputy Legal Adviser United States Mission to the United Nations New York, NY October 11, 2019 AS DELIVERED Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First, let me join other delegations in thanking the Secretary-General for his report on this agenda item.  I would also like to thank the Rule of Law Coordination and Resource Group …

Anca DiGiacomo Advisor UN Management and Reform U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York, NY October 11, 2019 AS DELIVERED Thank you, Mr. Chair. The United States would like to thank Assistant Secretary-General David Kanja for his presentation of the annual report on the work of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS). We …

Jason Mack Counselor U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York, NY October 11, 2019 AS DELIVERED Thank you Mr. Chair. Under the agenda item “Rights of Indigenous Peoples,” it is appropriate to call attention to the continuing violence, discrimination, persecution, and human rights abuses that indigenous peoples face around the world. Indigenous peoples themselves …

Courtney Nemroff Acting U.S. ECOSOC Representative U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York City October 10th, 2019 AS DELIVERED The United States believes that our shared ambitions toward achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) must be viewed in the light of the goal toward which we as nations have been working toward at the United …

Courtney Nemroff Acting U.S. ECOSOC Representative U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York City October 10th, 2019 AS DELIVERED On behalf of the U.S. government, I would like to extend our thanks to co-facilitators Ambassador Prasad, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Fiji, and Ambassador Nason, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Ireland for …

The United States continues to place high priority on helping girls throughout the world live healthy and productive lives, including girls in rural areas who are among the most vulnerable. Today, we would like to highlight our ongoing efforts to answer some of the challenges detailed in the Secretary-General’s report.

Emily R. Pierce Counsellor United States Mission to the United Nations New York, NY October 10, 2019 AS DELIVERED Thank you, Chair. The United Nations plays a critical role in the world, discharging its solemn mandate to maintain international peace and security, promote and respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, and promote international cooperation in …

The 2016 peace agreement remains an inspiration to us all and a reminder of the enduring value of aspirational leadership. The United States will continue to support the Verification Mission in Colombia, and we recognize the Colombian government’s commitment to the Mission.

Domestically, we continue to engage and raise community awareness of violent extremism or radicalization to terrorism and recruitment dynamics, including racially and ethnically motivated terrorism—which can have international connections. We also provide community leaders tools and resources to work on prevention efforts. One continuing area of work is state and local intervention services for individuals …

Our laws protect and advance the rights and welfare of children, including children born from surrogacy arrangements, and are among the strongest in the world. However, we do not accept the premise put forward in the Special Rapporteur’s report that the OPSC creates obligations related to surrogacy.

We take the concerns regarding the financial situation seriously and will continue to do our part to ensure our payments are received according to our fiscal year timing and availability of funds. My delegation applauds the changes made to the format of the budget that focuses on results and ownership by senior managers. We support …

We encourage the Committee to continue to improve the usability of the information provided on their website, particularly by providing information in formats more accessible than pdf.

We also recognize that the Global Service Delivery Model is a key reform that we will consider in optimizing and streamlining the way the Secretariat delivers administrative services. However, in order for this reform to actually deliver the intended benefits, it must stay grounded in a solid technical basis and not be co-opted by political …

A key concern remains assuring the health and safety of mothers and their babies before, during, and after home births. If complications arise in a home birth scenario, the health of the mother and baby may be endangered because trained medical personnel, equipment, and/or supplies may not be available.

“Governments that fail to treat women equally do not allow their societies to reach their potential [while] societies that empower women to participate fully in civil and economic life are more prosperous and peaceful.”

In the United States, drugs, organized crime, and cybercrime touch our citizens’ lives more directly now than ever before. In 2018, 47,000 people in the United States died of an overdose from fentanyl or another opioid. Nearly everyone in the United States knows someone who knows someone who is affected by this crisis.

If the Commission is to continue to exist, its functions must be made consistent with the Secretary-General’s reform agenda. It should operate efficiently, add value to the UN’s work, and avoid duplicating the work of other UN bodies.

President John F. Kennedy once said, “The United States is different because Gandhi lived and I venture to the think that the world is different because of Gandhian ideas.” His words still hold true to this day. Gandhi’s message of love, unity, and tolerance is needed more than ever in a world undergoing profound political …

Instead of using our limited human and monetary resources for prolonged multilateral negotiations on a new instrument, we should rather devote ourselves to short-term, results-driven actions that address older persons’ immediate needs, including protection from violence and abuse, as well as enhancing economic security, health, and nutrition. We are already doing this in the United …

U.S. government support can catalyze significant amounts of private capital into emerging markets. This model of mobilizing private investment is critical to addressing the needs of the developing world, which are too great to meet with government resources alone.

As member states of the United Nations, our commitment to Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which proclaims that “everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion” will ring hollow if people are afraid to attend their houses of worship. So we welcome this opportunity, today, to again stand …

We would like to thank the co-facilitators, Belgium and Jamaica, for their leadership on the ILO Centenary Resolution. Today the United States is pleased to join consensus. We agree that full and productive employment and decent work for all are key elements of sustainable development.

The United States greatly appreciates the efforts of the facilitators and the member states that participated actively in the negotiations and displayed sincere commitment to finding compromise and making progress on this important issue.

We remain concerned about the increasing trend by some member states to restrict civil society and human rights defenders at the United Nations, which we have seen across bodies and in modalities resolutions, particularly during this session of the General Assembly.

These efforts by the international community are a re-affirmation of the importance of our friendships and partnerships and a reminder of UNICEF’s critical role, commitment and expertise in responding to humanitarian emergencies and working with sister UN agencies and international partners, to help countries in need.

The latest report from the Secretary-General on the threat posed by ISIS demonstrates the hard-won progress that we have made over the past several years, culminating in the territorial defeat of ISIS in Iraq and Syria in March. We have achieved substantial success against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. We cannot relent. The United States …

We are here today because the Russian Federation preferred a world in which the United States continued to fulfill its INF Treaty obligations, while the Russian Federation did not. Now that the INF Treaty no longer exists due to the Russian Federation’s conduct, the United States is taking the necessary steps to address the threat …

The United States strongly condemns the attack in Benghazi that killed and injured UN staff and a number of civilians. We extend our condolences and sympathies to the victims, their families, and indeed the entire UN family.

The United States continues to prioritize child protection programming that is life-saving and essential for survival as well as longer-term recovery, resilience and healing, and we will continue to invest in preventive and responsive programming to protect children from violence. We know that the resumption of familiar, safe, and nurturing routines, particularly within a family, …

As evidenced by Secretary-General Guterres’ visit this year to the Pacific Island Forum in Fiji, it is vital for the UN to support those countries most in need of assistance as they address specific economic development and security challenges due to their unique geographic location, limited resources, and small populations. We recognize the Secretary-General’s effort …

The prayers of the President, First Lady, and the United States are with President Essebsi’s family—his spouse Chadlia Saïda Farhat and their four children, Amel, Salwa, Mohamed Hafedh, and Khélil—as well as with the Tunisian people during this time of sorrow.

The United States has called a vote on today’s resolution because we have deep concerns about potential UN collaboration with the Economic Cooperation Organization. Iran, which chairs and hosts the Economic Cooperation Organization, has a clear track record of undermining regional security. Iran has destabilized its neighbors, in particular through its support to terrorist organizations …

The United States believes this new mandate sends an important message from the Security Council to the sides and relevant parties: that the leaders of the communities must work with a sense of urgency to resume full-fledged negotiations that will fulfill the hopes of the Cypriot people to reunify Cyprus as a bizonal, bicommunal federation …

To counter intolerance, United States advocates for robust protections for speech, as well as the enforcement of appropriate legal regimes that deal with discriminatory acts and hate crimes.

We join consensus on this resolution with the express understanding that it does not imply that States must become parties to instruments to which they are not a party, or implement obligations under human rights instruments to which they are not a party, including, in the case of the United States, the Convention on the …

The United States has been a strong supporter of the UN Forum on Forest (UNFF) since its inception. Regarding a possible future office in China for the GFFFN, the United States underlines the importance of GFFFN’s work being carried out in a balanced, transparent, and effective manner that maintains international best practices. Such provisions must …

The conclusion of the UN peacekeeping presence in Haiti after more than 15 years, and the transition to a Special Political Mission, is an important milestone for Haiti. Once complete, we will be able to hold Haiti up as an example of a successful, nationally owned transition. As the Security Council has repeatedly stated, it …

Democratic governance, rule of law, respect for human rights, and strong institutions provide the foundation for the peace and stability necessary to accelerate action across the Agenda, but in their absence, progress will erode and reverse course. Each Member State here has the sovereign responsibility to ensure the safety of its citizens, to define and …

The United States is the largest bilateral donor of foreign assistance to many programs that support the objectives set forth in the 1994 Programme of Action. We are proud of our contributions to expanding access to basic health care and promoting women’s health, including efforts to improve maternal and child health.

The United States strongly supports the elimination of racial discrimination throughout the world, and we are committed to continuing on the path to a world free from injustice. There is still much progress to be made, and we must continue our work, both internationally and domestically, to combat racism, racial discrimination, and intolerance.

Progress on the UN-led political process is vitally important, but it faces obstacles both from within Yemen, and from outside forces. We urge the parties to undertake de-escalatory measures to demonstrate commitment to a Yemeni-led political resolution.

Just one week past the anniversary of the 1995 genocide in Srebrenica, UNIRMCT briefs Security Council on the appeals decision upholding the conviction of Radovan Karadžić for genocide for his role as mastermind of the murder of more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys. USUN strongly supports work of the UNIRMCT and is committed …

The United States is a leader in promoting inclusive, quality education and lifelong-learning opportunities around the world. Last year, we released the first-ever U.S. Government Strategy on International Basic Education. The Strategy aims to improve learning outcomes and expand access to quality basic education for all, particularly marginalized and vulnerable populations.

In support of this call, we are pleased that the Committee provided additional peacekeeping financial management mechanisms to the Secretary General to address some of the liquidity issues facing the Organization. But we continue to support overall improvements to the budget methodology and look forward to considering those elements at a later session.

Implementing these recommendations would contribute to improved performance in peacekeeping. The Secretary-General’s recent Action for Peacekeeping initiative, which has been endorsed by 151 member states, includes performance as one of its key pillars. The member states who have endorsed the A4P Declaration should be supporting these recommendations by the Board of Auditors and the Secretary-General’s …

The United States remains deeply concerned about the situation in Myanmar, especially in Rakhine State.  Sadly, the Government has made little progress in improving conditions there, while the military’s conflict with the Arakan Army continues to escalate and civilian casualties rise by the day.

The U.S. government supports a range of efforts that both directly and indirectly reduce risks of mass atrocities. Such efforts include establishing and training local communities to use early warning systems, supporting criminal justice system reform, and documenting human rights abuses for justice and accountability processes. In one example, we surveyed and documented human rights …

Mr. President, this is no ordinary mandate renewal — because MINUSMA is no ordinary peacekeeping mission. Since its creation in 2013, MINUSMA has operated in a challenging, dangerous, and asymmetric environment. It is a peacekeeping mission in a counterterrorism environment. MINUSMA peacekeepers are consistently and purposefully attacked by unrelenting violent extremists who are mobile, smart, …

Ambassador Jonathan Cohen Acting Permanent Representative U.S. Mission to the UN New York City June 26, 2019 AS DELIVERED Thank you, Mr. President; and thank you, Special Envoy Pedersen, for your briefing. The UN-led political process in Geneva is the only legitimate and internationally recognized forum to create a lasting, inclusive, and peaceful political solution …

Ambassador Jonathan Cohen Acting Permanent Representative U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York City June 27, 2019 AS DELIVERED Thank you, Mr. President. The United States thanks Council members for their endeavors to ensure that UNAMID is well positioned to continue its mission to protect civilians, support humanitarian aid to 1.2 million internally displaced …

Ambassador Jonathan Cohen Acting Permanent Representative U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York City June 26, 2019 AS DELIVERED Mr. President, honored guests, colleagues, good afternoon. Each and every one of us should be working hard to tackle the challenges of anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia, violent extremism, and hate speech. It is critical that we …

Ambassador Jonathan Cohen Acting Permanent Representative U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York City June 26, 2019 AS DELIVERED Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you to Under Secretary-General DiCarlo, to the Permanent Representative of Belgium, and to the Head of the EU Delegation for your briefings. The seventh report of the Secretary-General reflects the …

Ambassador Jonathan Cohen Acting Permanent Representative U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York City June 25, 2019 AS DELIVERED Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you, Under-Secretary-General Lowcock for yet another deeply sobering briefing. Mr. President, one hundred and thirty-nine days have now passed since the last UN-Syrian Arab Red Crescent humanitarian assistance convoy …

Ambassador Jonathan Cohen Acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York City June 25, 2019 AS DELIVERED Thank you, Mr. President, Special Representative Shearer, Assistant Secretary-General Gilmour, and Ms. Minagano for your briefings. Though implementation of the 2018 Revitalized Agreement remains slow, the United States acknowledges that the …

Brian Conroy Counselor U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York City June 20, 2019 AS DELIVERED Thank you, Mr. President. The United States welcomes this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to effectively address the scourge of sexual exploitation and abuse and to reaffirm our collective support for the United Nations zero tolerance policy and …

Rodney Hunter Political Coordinator U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York City June 19, 2019 AS DELIVERED Thank you, Mr. President. And thank you Special Representative Yamamoto for your remarks today, UNAMA under your leadership continues to provide vital support to Afghanistan. I also want to thank Dr. Samar for your informative briefing today. …

Mark Simonoff Minister Counselor U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York City June 19, 2019 AS DELIVERED Thank you, Mr. President and thank you Madame Prosecutor for your briefing. In April, civilian-led protests led to the removal of President Omar al-Bashir, whose regime was synonymous with genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and human …

The Security Council must not renounce its Charter-mandated role in the maintenance of international peace and security, but we have seen that missions face significantly more challenges in achieving their mandates when host governments choose to obstruct them.

Courtney Nemroff Deputy U.S. Representative to ECOSOC U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York City June 18, 2019 AS DELIVERED The United States thanks the Secretary-General for his leadership on this Strategy and Plan of Action. The United States strongly agrees that the Plan of Action should not endorse limitations on freedom of speech, …

Ambassador Jonathan Cohen Acting Permanent Representative U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York City June 14, 2019 DELIVERED Thank you, Mr. President. And thanks to Under-Secretary-General LaCroix and Assistant Secretary General Gilmour for your briefings on the latest developments in Darfur and UNAMID. Since our last briefing in April, the United States has become …

Ambassador Jonathan Cohen Acting Permanent Representative U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York City June 13, 2019 AS DELIVERED Good afternoon. I just finished briefing the Security Council at Secretary Pompeo’s request on what we assess to be yet another example of Iran’s destabilizing activities in the region, the attacks today and in the …

Ambassador Jonathan Cohen Acting Permanent Representative U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York City June 13, 2019 AS DELIVERED Thank you, Mr. President. And welcome to the Secretary-General of the Arab League and Foreign Minister of Poland. Thank you all and Secretary-General Guterres for your contributions to today’s debate. The United States supports continued …

Rodney Hunter Political Coordinator U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York City June 12, 2019 AS PREPARED Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you SRSG Annadif for your briefing. And welcome Foreign Minister Dramé to the Council today, we very much look forward to working with you and Mali’s new government. Mr. President, every quarter …