U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Susan Rice

By Merle David Kellerhals Jr.
IIP Staff Writer
Washington,
February 4, 2012

U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice told the U.N. Security Council February 4 that “the United States is disgusted” by the failure of the council to pass a resolution that backed an Arab League peace plan to end escalating violence in Syria and that urged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down.

China and Russia, both permanent members of the Security Council, vetoed the peace plan resolution, while the United States and 12 other members that included Britain and France voted for it in a rare weekend session.

“The United States is disgusted that a couple of members of this council continue to prevent us from fulfilling our sole purpose here — addressing an ever-deepening crisis in Syria and a growing threat to regional peace and security,” Rice said shortly after the council voted.

A Security Council resolution can be blocked by a single veto from the five permanent members, which are Great Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. However a double veto by Security Council permanent members is rare.

The vote was prompted, even in the face of Russian opposition, by continued violence in the city of Homs and amid reports that nearly 250 civilian Syrians were killed February 3 by government forces. The United Nations estimates that more than 5,400 civilians have been killed in the nearly 11-month-old civil strife as the Assad regime conducted a military crackdown on all civilian protests.

Rice, who is the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations, said the text of the resolution did not include sanctions, an arms embargo or a call for international intervention in Syria, but only for a plan to halt the violence and end the Assad regime.

“These members [China and Russia] stand behind empty arguments and individual interests, while delaying and seeking to strip bare any text that would pressure Assad to change his actions. This intransigence is even more shameful when you consider that at least one of these members continues to deliver weapons to Assad,” Rice said.

At an international security conference in Munich, Germany, February 4, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that the United States and European nations “are united, alongside the Arab League, in demanding an end to the bloodshed and a democratic future for Syria.” Clinton met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the conference to discuss the then-pending vote of the Security Council. Clinton addressed the Security Council on the resolution January 31.

The Arab League peace plan called for Assad’s regime to withdraw its military forces from residential areas, stop acts of violence against civilians, release opposition prisoners arrested because of the current unrest, end all fighting and bloodshed, delegate power to the vice president and allow creation of a national government of unity. Assad had signed a protocol with the Arab League pledging to meet the conditions set in the plan.

Before the vote was taken in New York, President Obama said that 30 years after Assad’s father “massacred tens of thousands” of Syrian civilians in Hama, the current Assad regime has demonstrated a similar disdain for human life and dignity.

“The Syrian regime’s policy of maintaining power by terrorizing its people only indicates its inherent weakness and inevitable collapse,” Obama said. “Assad has no right to lead Syria, and has lost all legitimacy with his people and the international community.”

Obama pledged continued U.S. support for the Syrian people and vowed to continue working to help them build a better future in Syria.

“Every government has the responsibility to protect its citizens, and any government that brutalizes and massacres its people does not deserve to govern,” Obama said.

Susan E. Rice
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
U.S. Mission to the United Nations
New York, NY
February 4, 2012

AS DELIVERED

Ambassador Rice: Good afternoon. Let me begin by speaking directly to the Syrian people. The United States stands with you, the Syrian people, and we will not rest until you and your bravery achieve your basic, universal human rights, to which all human beings are entitled. Today, we saw clearly which countries are prepared to support the people of Syria-and, indeed, the people of the entire region-as they struggle to attain a future of peace and democracy. And we saw which countries, for their narrow interests, do not. But let there be no doubt. The United States will continue, with partners around the world-partners particularly in the Arab world-to ratchet up the pressure on the Asad regime until finally the people’s voice prevails. We will not rest until that occurs.

This Council, today, again, had a sad moment, which will be recorded in its history, but there was a hopeful aspect to it as well. And that is that more and more countries are united in saying the violence must stop, change must come, there must be a democratic and peaceful transition. Thirteen members of this Council clearly and firmly made that point, and perhaps two more will one day come along-I hope not after too many more innocent Syrians have been killed. I’m happy to take a couple questions.

Reporter: Ambassador, what comes next? You said further measures, further pressure. Can you be more specific about what you think that might be please?

Ambassador Rice: Neil, we have, as the United States, as you know, put increasing sanctions, increasing pressure on the Syrian regime. We are certainly committed on a national basis to continue to intensify our pressure. We have worked with partners in Europe, in Turkey, in the broader Arab world towards that end. We will certainly be consulting with partners in the Arab League and on this Council in the days to come. I think it is fair to say that nobody is giving up. Nobody is turning our backs on the Syrian people. And we will find a way forward to affirm our support for the people of Syria.

Reporter: Ambassador, some believe and feel that it is due to the fact that the U.S. and Russia did not understand each other and did not agree outside of this whole-that this is the result of the double veto. So, A, tell us if you agree and B, tell us kindly, what is your understanding of Mr. Sergei Lavrov’s initiative, probably, in Damascus next week? And are you surprised particularly by the Chinese veto?

Ambassador Rice: I can’t answer the question of what Minister Lavrov’s visit intends or aims to achieve. I can say this: the members of this Council worked tirelessly, exhaustively over the last several days to try to come to consensus. We bent over backwards as co-sponsors to accommodate and meet the concerns of member of this Council. There were those who saw what seemed to me to be a phantom, that somehow this resolution might be construed as authorizing the use of force, even when it was patently obvious that that wasn’t the case. But just to underscore it, we wrote that into the resolution. There were some who wanted to pretend that this resolution imposed sanctions. It never did, never from the beginning in any other iterations. That became clear. There were members of this Council that were uncomfortable with outlining certain elements of the Arab League plan. We insisted that the Arab League initiative be supported. The text that was vetoed did that. But it did so in a way that was garnered-that was intended to garner consensus. It failed. We had many, many attempts, Raghida, up until the minute before we went into the vote to try to find common ground. And I want to say that we-the United States, Morocco, the Arab League, the co-sponsors-made every effort, and those that-no effort was good enough. And so countries took their decision.

There was discussion over the last couple of days, and we indicated, again, that we were interested in reaching consensus but not at the expense of doing violence to the fundamental purpose.

And this is to answer your question, Matt: What was unacceptable, first and foremost, was the amendments that would have rewritten the Arab League plans, both Arab League plans-the one of November 2nd, which both parties have agreed to and committed to but the Syrian government hasn’t implemented but which indeed the Russian Federation has supported. Now, months later, it’s to be revised and rewritten. That was unacceptable.

And it was also unacceptable to try to remove from the plan of the 22nd the timeline that was crucial, an integral aspect of the Arab League initiative. There were many other aspects-efforts to equate the opposition and their actions with those of the regime, which we thought were not only indefensible but reprehensible in their formulations. But they were also not offered during the course of the week when we were engaged in meaningful efforts at negotiations but rather at the 11th hour with a request that the vote be delayed until some indefinite point next week.

With people dying every day, with the regime escalating its violence in a horrific fashion, and the people of Homs under immediate assault, delay was not an option.

Thank you.

###

Remarks by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, at a Press Gaggle on Syria, outside the UN Security Council, February 1, 2012

Ambassador Rice: Well, we have more work to do, but I think it was a constructive session, conducted in a good spirit. It’s way too soon in my judgment to know whether ultimately there will be agreement, but I think people are in the spirit of rolling up their sleeves and trying to get to work in a serious manner.

Reporter: The issue regarding the transition of power, [operative paragraph] 7b. Was progress made in that area?

Ambassador Rice: That’s one of the more difficult issues. It’s still being worked.

Reporter: Any sense that this might be moving along fast enough to have a vote by the end of the week as some of you have been saying before?

Ambassador Rice: Not clear. I wouldn’t be wedded to one day or another. I think it’s moving at a pace that indicates seriousness. But this is also, obviously, an issue of great importance in capitals, and people are going to have to get instructions. There will undoubtedly be more discussion, and then probably another round of instructions. So I think this could—we’re not talking weeks, but we’re not talking, you know, tomorrow.

Reporter: Was there any issue you felt you made a breakthrough on—is there any issue you felt you made a breakthrough on?

Ambassador Rice: All of the changes that were discussed were in the context of reaching an overall package. So none of them were taken in isolation, so that remains to be seen.

Reporter: Ambassador, bedrock language between sort of “fully support” and “note” the Arab peace plan, any progress at all on that?

Ambassador Rice: I said on the way in that the United States, for one, doesn’t discuss its redlines in the press, unlike some others, so I’m not going to start now. But I think that, as I said, everybody is trying to approach this in a constructive and rational way and that has—that, in itself, is progress.

Reporter: What’s driving that?

Ambassador Rice: I’ll let others speak for themselves. For the United States, we think the situation in Syria is dire. We have been saying for months that it’s long past time for this Council to take meaningful action. We have a thoughtful, well-intentioned, constructive proposal from the Arab League, for which they seek the Council’s support. And we think that it’s deserved and should be granted. So that’s what motivates us. We want to see the end to the bloodshed and a peaceful political transition in Syria in which the people of Syria can realize their legitimate aspirations.

Reporter: But as you said, this has been going on for months. Do you sense a different mood, this time in the talks than you have had in the previous discussions about this?

Ambassador Rice: All I want to do is characterize what happened today. I don’t want to predict, because this has been quite an unpredictable situation. But today’s discussions were conducted in a constructive and roll-up-your sleeves manner, and if that can continue, then there’s a possibility that we’ll reach agreement. But there’s no certainty. These are tough issues, and there are issues of interest and principle that still divide the Council. So it’s really too soon to know.

Reporter: But this proposed new language that—

Ambassador Rice: It was a discussion about all kinds of different parts of the—

Reporter: But there’s a new text coming out this evening?

Ambassador Rice: We’ll see. We’ll see. Thanks, guys.

Secretary Clinton Adressing the UN Security Council Special Session on Syria (click on the photo to watch the video)

Remarks

By Phillip Kurata
IIP Staff Writer
Washington,
January 26, 2012

U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Susan Rice has urged the U.N. Security Council to support the Arab League’s plan to mediate a political transition in Syria that would pave the way for the departure of President Bashar al-Assad from power.

“We welcome the Arab League’s … efforts to facilitate a transition and broker a political solution to the more than 10 months of brutality by the Assad regime,” Rice said in remarks to the Security Council in New York January 24.

The Arab League, consisting of 22 member states, has sent monitors to Syria to assess the turmoil in which thousands have died in a government crackdown on protesters since March 2011. The league has formulated a plan for al-Assad to hand over power to his vice president, Farouk al-Shara, who would be tasked with forming a unity government with the opposition. The head of the Arab League, Nabil al-Arabi, and Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani intend to go to New York in the coming days to seek the Security Council’s support for their plan.

“It is long past time that this Council pass a strong resolution that supports the Arab League’s efforts to end the crisis and restore peace to Syria,” Rice said.

The U.S. envoy also voiced support for efforts by Jordan’s King Abdullah to restart a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians in coordination with the Quartet, a diplomatic group consisting of the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia that promotes peace between the two sides.

“We are now at a critical juncture. The government of Jordan deserves our gratitude for facilitating reengagement by the parties,” Rice said. “It is imperative that we do everything we can to contribute to the success of this pathway.”

Rice condemned incitements to violence and terrorist attacks on civilians in Israel, including rocket attacks from Gaza, and urged Israel to step up its efforts to “deter, confront and prosecute anti-Palestinian violence and extremist hate crimes.” She repeated the U.S. policy that it does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity.

With regard to Lebanon, Rice again called for the disarming of Hezbollah in keeping with previous U.N. Security Council resolutions and expressed support for the Lebanese Armed Forces for their role in maintaining stability in Lebanon.

(end text)

Ambassador Susan Rice with Prime Minister Abdel Raheem al-Keeb, in Tripoli

Remarks by Susan E. Rice,
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
with Prime Minister Abdel Raheem al-Keeb, in Tripoli

(end text)

U.S. Mission to the United Nations
Statement by Ambassador Ronald Godard,
At the 66th UN General Assembly – Third Committee Item 69 (b) and (c)
Promotion and Protection of Human Rights,
New York, NY
October 26, 2011

Thank you, Mr. President.

Last year, the United States joined over 60 other governments to establish through the Human Rights Council the mandate for the Special Rapporteur for the Rights of Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association. These freedoms have always been central to healthy civil society and to the democratic process. New technologies such as the Internet and mobile phone networks help people to assemble and associate, both in person and online, and have become important tools for the exercise of these universal human rights. Unfortunately, some countries continue to deny their citizens these rights, both in the streets and online.

Syria has responded with violence to its citizens’ efforts to peacefully assemble and protest for their universal rights. The Asad regime has now reportedly killed more than 3,000 civilians and has arrested and detained roughly 30,000 individuals since protests began seven months ago. Activists report the government is increasingly targeting doctors and pharmacists for treating injured protestors and over 250 medical personnel have allegedly been arrested since the start of the unrest. Regime forces are responsible for mass arrests, torture, targeted killings, and arbitrary executions and detentions, including those aimed at young children – actions the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has said may amount to crimes against humanity. Despite the Asad regime’s rhetoric of reform and dialogue, a number of people have been killed by Syrian security forces while in custody, including human rights activist Ghiyath Mattar, who was courageously committed to confronting the regime’s despicable violence with peaceful protest.

Iran, through its security services, continues to quash freedom of assembly. The regime repressed all forms of opposition, precluding accountability of its actions to its own citizens. It harassed, abused, intimidated, detained and sentenced human rights defenders, civil society actors, student activists, artists, and thousands of individuals without cause or due process of law, including political leaders Mir Houseein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi and their wives. It jailed journalists, prosecuted human rights attorneys, executed political prisoners, and continues to hold more than 100 juveniles on death row, in contravention of the UN conventions to which it is a party. Iran has extended the repression to the exercise of rights online: it blocks access to thousands of websites, jails opposition bloggers, and monitors individuals’ private Internet communications to collect information to support interrogations and fabricate criminal charges. Iran continued to abuse members of ethnic and religious minorities, repressing their practice of faith, denying them their right to equal treatment, and sentencing some to death for their religious beliefs, such as Pastor Nadarkhani. One hundred members of the Baha’i community are currently in jail, along with many others of oppressed religious sects.

Burma subjects members of ethnic and religious minorities, particularly the Muslim Rohingya, to unique discrimination. While we welcome the recent release of some political prisoners, the government continues to hold a high number of others who should also be released, and ongoing attacks against ethnic minority populations have resulted in the displacement of thousands of Burmese in Burma, along its borders, and in the region over the past five decades. The Burmese government targets political activists and censors the media. Internet users face up to 15 years imprisonment for sending or receiving some types of messages, such as those deemed damaging to the national culture. Burma is currently moving forward with labor law reform, which we hope will comply with ILO standards, but it continues to jail trade unionists for trying to organize and advance worker rights.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea maintains draconian controls over almost all aspects of citizens’ lives. It denies citizens the freedoms of religion, expression, assembly, association and movement and fails to respect worker’s rights. It severely restricts the flow of independent information into, out of, and within the country, including on the Internet. The tight controls on access to information and restrictions on freedom of movement make it unlikely and difficult for North Koreans to form associations or assemble in an organized fashion.

In Cuba, we note with sadness the passing of Laura Pollan, founder of the Damas de Blanco who continue to fight for not only the right to peacefully assemble, but for the rights and freedom of political prisoners. The Cuban authorities actively target the Damas for harassment, prevent free assembly of the Damas and other groups through house detention without due process, and employ mobs that frequently use violence to disrupt peaceful demonstrations. Earlier this year, the regime reacted with increased harassment and violence as the Damas sought to expand their movement. We also note with sadness the continued incarceration in Cuba of Alan Gross, a 62-year-old American, who has been unjustly imprisoned for over 22 months for helping improve the internet connectivity and facilitate the free flow of information to, from and among the Cuban people. Cuba has kept this innocent man in jail despite his own fragile health and that of a daughter suffering from cancer. We call for the immediate and unconditional release of Alan Gross.

Finally, before closing, Mr. President, while we welcome China’s increasingly important role on the world stage, we note that China harasses and detains its citizens expressing dissenting viewpoints both individually and collectively, labeling them as dangers to state security or even as terrorists. It has imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, who helped draft and organize signatures for Charter 08 which peacefully advocated for reforms. It blocks many social networking sites and Internet searches of subjects deemed sensitive, and detains citizens for posting content that the government finds objectionable. Civil society organizations operate only under tight controls. Workers cannot form independent unions. Unregistered religious groups cannot gather together to worship as they see fit. Authorities detained leaders of the Shouwang Church in Beijing when their congregation resorted to outdoor meetings. They maintain restrictive policies that threaten the unique religious, cultural and linguistic identity of Tibetans. The government also strictly regulates religious activities of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang, including making it impossible for some to travel for the Hajj. And new regulations dramatically expand government control over religious life and practice.

Mr. President, the United States hopes that the work done here at the United Nations will help human rights defenders across the globe know that we stand with them.

Thank you.

Dr. Esther Brimmer serves as the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs

The following is reprinted from DipNote – the Official Blog of the U.S. State Department

By Esther Brimmer
September 23, 2011

For a few minutes Friday morning, I managed to sneak away from this year’s UN General Assembly — better known as UNGA — to officially ring the NASDAQ Market opening bell in New York’s Time Square.

As unexpected as the invitation to ring the bell may have been, as soon as we considered the offer it seemed to make perfect sense. The NASDAQ OMX Group is the world’s largest global exchange company with stock markets around the world. Here in the United States, NASDAQ is often associated with younger companies heavily invested in new technologies and on-line businesses.

So, NASDAQ companies know better than most that in such a modern, interconnected world, effective solutions require integrated, global approaches. And essentially, that’s what we are working on at the UN; we are trying to leverage emerging networks, forge new alliances, revitalize existing coalitions and somehow, to some degree, confront the great challenges of our day — everything from national security to environmental security, economic health to famine relief.

But my message at the NASDAQ opening bell ceremony was, admittedly, a bit less…idealistic. The point I made there, in the heart of the America’s financial capital, was quite simple: our engagement at the UN is remarkably profitable and makes enormous sense for American businesses and the workers they employ.

Now, there’s a long list of reasons why, but I was only given 90 seconds to make my case at the official ceremony so I had to limit myself to three core arguments:

First, the UN helps sustain the global economic landscape that U.S. companies depend on. UN offices help protect American patents and intellectual property around the world. UN agencies promote global standards for things like international shipping, civil aviation, telecommunications, and postal services. Basically, if you’re an American company doing business across borders, odds are, you’re benefiting from the work the United States does in the UN.

Second, the UN spends hundreds of millions of dollars every year procuring goods and services from American companies. They spend more money here than in any other country in the world — more than $1.5 billion dollars last year alone. So, American companies in places like Texas, Florida, New Jersey, and elsewhere know that the UN is a significant source of income and jobs for small, medium, and large U.S. companies.

Third, the UN is a boost for New York’s economy. Aside from the thousands of diplomats and UN staff, the UN brings in hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. That means billions of dollars for local hotels, restaurants, and other businesses.

Basically, my point at NASDAQ this morning was the time and money we put into the UN — regardless of the broader contributions to our national health and security — comes right back to us when the UN buys American goods and services. Bottom line: American engagement at the UN is, among other things, a great investment in American businesses and helps create jobs for American workers. That’s a very fair exchange.
(end text)

Ambassador Susan Rice speaking to the press in New York

Remarks by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, at the Security Council Stakeout on the Humanitarian Situation in the Horn of Africa

U.S. Mission to the United Nations
New York, NY
July 20, 2011

Ambassador Rice:  Good morning. While the issue in the Council today has been climate change, I’ve made a statement in that regard already and I wanted to say a few words about the UN’s declaration of famine in parts of Somalia today. It goes without saying that the situation is grave, over 11 million lives at risk, and in need of assistance. This is indeed a crisis situation, and one that has been exacerbated quite directly by the refusal of al-Shabaab to allow critically needed humanitarian assistance to reach over 60 percent of the people who need it most, over the course of the last year and more. The United States has been and remains the largest donor of bilateral humanitarian assistance to the Horn of Africa, contributing this year alone already $459 million, including an additional $28 million that Secretary Clinton just announced today. We will continue to focus on this issue and to provide the support that we can, but clearly this is a global challenge, and it is one that requires the concerted effort and support of the wide range of donors that are in a position to assist. We will be supportive of the United Nations as its agencies and funds and programs do the essential work of providing for and supporting those most in need. Thank you.

Reporter: Ambassador Rice, will any of the money that the United States has pledged to fighting the drought go to Somalia?

Ambassador Rice: Yes.

Reporter: Mark Bowden, the humanitarian coordinator of the UN, just gave a press conference and he said that the U.S., two years ago, was the number one donor to Somalia and has now fallen to seventh or eighth—pretty much tied to anti-terrorism restrictions on where the funds can go. I know you gave the Horn of Africa number but is he correct about this?

Ambassador Rice: I can’t tell you if he’s correct. I can tell you that the United States remains the largest bilateral donor to the crisis in the Horn and the epicenter of the crisis in the Horn is, of course, Somalia. We have provided support and will continue to provide support to the refugees that have reached Ethiopia and Kenya among others, but our support has gone to Somalia as well and will continue to do so. The challenge has been access for the humanitarian agencies, particularly in the south and the central region, and it’s been blocked deliberately as a matter of policy by al-Shabaab. And al-Shabaab is principally responsible for exacerbating the consequences of the drought situation by preventing its own people from being able to access critically needed assistance.

Reporter: But they’ve lifted the restrictions?

Ambassador Rice: They say they’ve lifted the restrictions, after two years of starving their own people. We’ll see if those restrictions are in fact, as a practical matter, lifted on the ground. Neither the United States nor others in the international community are prepared to pay bribes or taxes to al-Shabaab, while it starves its own people.

Reporter: How will the U.S. transmit its aid? Is it through the UN and other groups?

Ambassador Rice: We typically provide our assistance through a variety of non-governmental organizations, and international organizations including UN agencies. UNICEF is among those that have been consistently active in that area, including within Somalia—it is one of the major recipients and, of course, WFP and others, UNHCR in the camps, and, of course, a range of NGOs.

Reporter: To clarify, will the aid get into the areas are being held by al-Shabaab? Will the United States send aid to those areas which arguably need it the most?

Ambassador: The issue—this is not complicated—aid will go where the humanitarian workers can gain access. The reason the aid hasn’t gone in sufficient quantities into south and central Somalia, is because al-Shabaab has prevented those most capable of delivering large quantities of aid from having access. And when they have had access they’ve taxed them, harassed them, killed them, kidnapped them—so that’s the problem. The question is whether al-Shabaab will finally, in the face of a massive famine, and the worst disaster in the region in, perhaps, 60 years, allow its people to access the critical humanitarian resources and food that they need.

Thank you very, very much.