UN / UK PIERCE

Amid continued allegations of the use of chemical weapons in Syria, British Ambassador Karen Pierce told reporters that the Russian Federation should assume its responsibilities as a P5 member of the Security Council “in respect to halting, and doing everything possible to halt, WMD proliferation and use, including chemical weapons.” UNIFEED

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:58
• Production Date: 1 November 2019
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: KAREN PIERCE
• Corporate Name: ORGANISATION FOR THE PROHIBITION OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS - OPCW; SECURITY COUNCIL
• Subject Topical: CHEMICAL WEAPONS; MEDIATION; PEACE AND SECURITY; RECONCILIATION; TERRORISM
• Geographic Subject: ISRAEL; PALESTINE; RUSSIAN FEDERATION; SYRIA
• MAMS Id: 2492016
• Parent Id: 2492016
• Alternate Title: unifeed191101d

Description

STORY: UN / UK PIERCE
TRT: 02:58
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 01 NOVEMBER 2019, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior UN headquarters

01 NOVEMBER 2019, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, press conference
3. Wide shot, reporters
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Karen Pierce, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations:
“We think the Russians should assume their P5 responsibilities in respect to halting, and doing everything possible to halt, WMD proliferation and use, including chemical weapons. And as a result of all those discussions, we had offered, as the UK, to try and have an interactive dialogue with the Director General at the time on the issue of chemical weapons. For logistical reasons, he couldn’t leave The Hague. That wasn’t possible. So, we have been able to get him to come to New York this month.”
5. Med shot, photographers
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Karen Pierce, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations:
“To the extent that ISIS remain an ongoing threat, even though the territorial caliphate has been defeated, I think that will come up in the Syria debate in particular. And the Belgians are very interested in doing a debate outside the Council, Arria I think, on deradicalization, which has been obviously the critical element of any ISIS debates.”
7. Med shot, journalists
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Karen Pierce, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations:
“We remain in favour of a two-state solution, so that Israel and Palestine can live alongside each other as sovereign equals in peace and security and prosperity. And that remains the British Government position, and that is what we join a number of our partners in working for in the Security Council. In terms of a visit to the area, there isn’t a proposal at the moment. Speaking personally, I’d be very interested to go. I’ve visited in my role, various roles in the British Foreign Service. But I’d be interested to go with the Security Council. But whether the trip was viable or not would depend very much on al the components of the mission. And that would include going also to Israel. So, one would have to prepare that quite carefully. But I certainly would not rule it out.”
9. Wide shot, dais
10. Med shot, journalist
11. SOUNDBITE (English) SOUNDBITE (English) Karen Pierce, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations:
“We are very interested in reconciliation and mediation. I think it’s a spectrum of elements that contribute to sustainable peace processes and political settlements. We wanted to pick reconciliation because it’s a theme that a lot of people on the Council, and the UN membership more widely are interested in. But more importantly, have real practical experience of.”
12. Wide shot, end of presser

Storyline

Amid continued allegations of the use of chemical weapons in Syria, British Ambassador Karen Pierce, today (1 Nov) told reporters that the Russian Federation should assume its responsibilities as a P5 member of the Security Council “in respect to halting, and doing everything possible to halt, WMD proliferation and use, including chemical weapons.”

The Russian delegation has vetoed six resolution concerning chemical weapons use in Syria since 2017.

Pierce, whose delegation will preside the Council during the month of November, said that the Council will meet with the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Fernando Arias in closed-doors consultations later this month.

Pierce told reporters that she expects to debate the ISIS issue this month, as the terrorist organization remains “an ongoing threat, even though the territorial caliphate has been defeated.”

She said the issue “will come up in the Syria debate in particular” and during an Arria formula meeting on deradicalization that Belgium is expected to host.

Turning to the Israel-Palestine situation, the Ambassador said she would not rule out an official Council mission to the occupied Palestinian territories.

She said the UK remains “in favour of a two-state solution, so that Israel and Palestine can live alongside each other as sovereign equals in peace and security and prosperity.”

Pierce said that “whether the trip was viable or not would depend very much on all the components of the mission. And that would include going also to Israel.”

The theme of the British presidency of the Council will be reconciliation and mediation. The Ambassador said, “it’s a spectrum of elements that contribute to sustainable peace processes and political settlements” and is “a theme that a lot of people on the Council, and the UN membership more widely are interested in. But more importantly, have real practical experience of.”