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STORY: UN / GENERAL ASSEMBLY SUDAN RESOLUTION VETO
TRT: 03:22
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 26 NOVEMBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations Headquarters
26 NOVEMBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, General Assembly
3. Wide shot, Russian Ambassador Anna M. Evstigneeva walks up to Rostrum
4. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Anna M. Evstigneeva, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Russian Federation:
“The sponsors of the draft resolution submitted a text that included extremely dangerous points, which posed a threat to the sovereignty of Sudan, clearly impinging on the right of the government of the country to take their own decisions on key questions of on their national agenda, mainly on the protection of civilians.”
5. Wide shot, Evstigneeva at the rostrum
6. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Anna M. Evstigneeva, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Russian Federation:
“Ill thought through peacekeeping operations at the hot stage of a domestic conflict, given its vast geography, would end in disaster. This kind of scenario would undermine once and for all Sudan's trust in the UN, particularly given the result of the UNITAM's much tarnished reputation. We do not accept the politicisation of the dire humanitarian situation in Sudan, either.”
6. Wide shot, conference room
7. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Anna M. Evstigneeva, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Russian Federation:
“Rather than criticizing Russia for blocking documents, which are presented as the noble goal of bringing longstanding peace to Sudan, I would propose that you look at these people in the eyes. Without constructive cooperation of each member of the UN security Council with the Government of Sudan; without a sincere effort to overcome the difficulties, any Council resolution is doomed to fail. We don't remember our American, British and French colleagues having recently actually put forward any sound proposal for a resolution.”
8. Wide shot, British Ambassador James Kariuki walks up to Rostrum
9. SOUNDBITE (English) James Kariuki, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, United Kingdom:
“The Secretary General’s October report described the deliberate targeting of civilians, widespread sexual violence, and the abduction of children. The UK and Sierra Leone decided to act in response to the urgent situation on the ground. Working in partnership, we co-penned a resolution on the protection of civilians, seeking to bring the Council together to address the protection crisis.”
10. Wide shot, Kariuki walks at the Rostrum
11. SOUNDBITE (English) James Kariuki, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, United Kingdom:
“Nothing in the text compromised the sovereignty of Sudan – indeed the provisions on humanitarian
access through border crossings were explicit that this should be done with the prior agreement and coordination of the Sudanese Transitional Sovereign Council. The Sierra Leone-UK co-penned resolution received 14 votes in favour. 14 votes in favour. This included all the African Council members. But one country cynically blocked this resolution at the last minute. Russia’s veto prevented necessary Council action on
the basic right of African civilians to be protected.”
12. Wide shot, Kariuki walks away
Following last week’s veto by the Russian Federations of a Security Council draft resolution calling on Sudan's warring parties to cease hostilities and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid, The General Assembly today (25 Nov) convened to discuss the issue under the veto initiative.
Russian Ambassador Anna M. Evstigneeva told the Assembly that the United Kingdom and Sierra Leone,
the co-sponsors of the draft resolution, had “submitted a text that included extremely dangerous points, which posed a threat to the sovereignty of Sudan, clearly impinging on the right of the government of the country to take their own decisions on key questions of on their national agenda, mainly on the protection of civilians.”
On the discussions over the creation of a new peacekeeping mission in Sudan, Evstigneeva said, “Ill thought through peacekeeping operations at the hot stage of a domestic conflict, given its vast geography, would end in disaster.”
This kind of scenario, she continued, “would undermine once and for all Sudan's trust in the UN.”
Evstigneeva said, “we do not accept the politicisation of the dire humanitarian situation in Sudan, either.”
The Russian diplomat said, “without constructive cooperation of each member of the UN security Council with the Government of Sudan; without a sincere effort to overcome the difficulties, any Council resolution is doomed to fail,” adding, “we don't remember our American, British and French colleagues having recently actually put forward any sound proposal for a resolution.”
For his part, British Ambassador James Kariuki noted that the Secretary General’s October report on Sudan described "the deliberate targeting of civilians, widespread sexual violence, and the abduction of children."
Kariuki said the UK and Sierra Leone had "decided to act in response to the urgent situation on the ground" and had co-penned "a resolution on the protection of civilians, seeking to bring the Council together to address the protection crisis.”
In April 2022, the General Assembly adopted a resolution on the “Standing mandate for a General Assembly debate when a veto is cast in the Security Council” (document A/RES/76/262), which has come to be described as the “veto initiative”.
Under this plan, the General Assembly shall convene a formal meeting within 10 working days of the casting of a veto by one or more permanent Council members on the situation as to which the veto was cast, provided that the Assembly does not meet in an emergency special session on the same situation.
