The debate focused on the causes of conflicts in the region, recent developments and possible solutions to crisis situations. The event is a continuation of Poland’s active involvement at the forum of the Council in the discussion on ways to improve the situation in the region. The debate was attended by US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany Andreas Michaelis and Chef de Cabinet to the Secretary‑General of the United Nations Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti.

In his speech, Minister Jacek Czaputowicz paid particular attention to threats of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the means of their delivery, and stressed the need to ensure security in cyberspace, navigation and aviation. “It is our joint responsibility and our moral duty to find a way to restore peace and stability in the region,” emphasised the minister adding that the UN Security Council should actively support all initiatives which comply with the international law and seek to counteract the aggressive actions in the Middle East.

Minister Czaputowicz expressed his belief that solving issues in the Middle East requires a multilateral approach. In this context, he recalled the Warsaw Ministerial to Promote Peace and Security in the Middle East, which was organised by Poland and the United States in February. The so-called Warsaw Process, launched following the ministerial, will be continued through the cooperation of countries working in seven working groups on topics defined in Warsaw. “We believe that the Warsaw Process will contribute to resolving multifaceted problems in the Middle East and foster stability in the region and beyond,” noted the minister.

The minister also stressed that promoting entrepreneurship, strengthening good governance, combatting corruption and providing access to education are key to solving social issues and unlocking the economic potential of the region.

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo also spoke at length at the Council about the Warsaw Process launched by Poland and the US, which he referred to as one of key foreign policy initiatives of President Donald Trump’s administration, aimed at bringing peace and security to the Middle East.

Furthermore, the UN Security Council adopted a statement, prepared on Poland’s initiative, of its president on strengthening the respect for international humanitarian law. The document stresses the importance of the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 for the protection of persons affected by the consequences of armed conflicts and the need to promote and respect the rules of the international humanitarian law.

On the sidelines of the debate at the Security Council, Minister Jacek Czaputowicz talked with US Secretary Michael Pompeo on the situation in the Middle East, the Warsaw Process and the upcoming visit of President Donald Trump to Poland to take part in the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War.

During his visit to New York, Minister Czaputowicz saw an exhibition at the UN headquarters prepared by the Pilecki Institute and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Poland on Raphael Lemkin, a lawyer who coined the term “genocide.” Lemkin was also the initiator and author of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

 

MFA Press Office

 

 

 

Photo : Tymon Markowski/MFA