YouSaid · the spoken record

De Mistura

lines on the record: 707
first: 2008-01-21
most recent: 2018-12-20
sittings or episodes: 34
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“So beyond just a formal greeting - since we were together and they have accompanied me during this journey, which has not been an easy one - I should like to warmly shake the hand of each one of my friends.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“I am convinced that the tenacity and ingenuity of United Nations staff can make a fundamental difference for Syria, and I wish my successor every success in his vital work. It has been a real privilege and an honour to work with each and every member of the Council. In spite of the Council's own divisions, it has always had one line, which I have constantly felt. It has consistently supported our complex mission and me, and I want to thank it very warmly for that. And since that this is my last briefing to the Council in this capacity, let me to go beyond protocol, since members and I have actually developed individual friendships, and I have felt that.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“It has mandated the United Nations to facilitate the intra-Syrian political process for the implementation of resolution 2254 (2015). That is the only way to enable Syrians to determine their own future. And we need a renewed sense of common purpose and concerted action in the Council if 2019 is to be the real turning point for Syria. In closing, I would like to thank our Secretary- General, Antonio Guterres, for his trust, advice and encouragement, as well as my own team, which, over the past four and a half years, has worked tirelessly to keep the talks process alive and moving forward, albeit sometimes incrementally, but never giving up. I owe them an enormous gratitude.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“I have sought to bridge international divides with ideas, messages, channels and meetings and by framing a way forward that all could sign on to in order to consistently support our mandate. I have also sought to speak publicly and clearly about the shocking violence and abuses against civilians, the need for humanitarian access and the need to counter terrorism, as well as the fundamental importance of respecting international humanitarian law. But that is no substitute for the genuine efforts of influential countries to talk to each other and work constructively within the Council and beyond in support of a United Nations process that is Syrian-led and Syrian-owned. It is the Council - and the Council alone - that is responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“I can see that that has now also been replicated in the Yemen file. Women in Syria have continued to remind me of what is possible and to plea for a process that is fully inclusive of all of Syrian society, with the full participation ofwomen and everyone else. I have fought and will continue to fight to ensure at least 30 per cent representation of women in the constitutional committee. I hope to see that realized, which is why I have also put emphasis on the co-chairmanship. This is the Security Council, so let me stress one point above all. The United Nations as a facilitator and mediator can create every sort of mediation process and every sort of dialogue - whether secret talks, backchannels, proximity talks, technical talks, working groups, direct talks, multi-party talks, constitutional committees, national dialogue and so on.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“They should be protected and involved meaningfully on the long and challenging road ahead. I salute those Syrian civilians and thank them for their efforts and willingness to engage with us and with the Council. Let me also once again stress the crucial role of women in the Syrian political process. This is not lip service. I have seen them; they have had enormous influence. They were given a chance and can be given more chances to do so. I have done everything I could to promote this, both with the delegations and within civil society. I have also been assisted by the Women's Advisory Board, the membership of which has recently rotated and been renewed. The Women's Advisory Board is a model for what is possible when Syrians from different backgrounds come together to accompany the mediation process.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“Will the opposition engage seriously and realistically, realizing that the process of change in Syria will not be an easy one, but that it also needs it to be pragmatic? I urge them both to do so. There is no other way out of the Syrian conflict. Let me commend the voices of the Syrians beyond the Government and the opposition who are working for peace against all odds. Many of them participate in the Civil Society Support Room, which we created in partnership with Syrians who committed to the value of peace. Indeed, many are meeting with my team this week in regional capitals. I must therefore urge members of the Council, the international community and Syrian parties more broadly to listen to those voices, even when I am no longer there. They are important.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“People will consider returning when they feel safe; if their fundamental rights are protected; if they can reunite with their families in the areas they came from; if their property and other legal rights are preserved and institutions of the State protect such rights; and if basic social services are delivered without political prejudice or bias. The list of legitimate questions does not end here. All of those and other questions are key to the establishment of a calm, safe and neutral environment. If we are able to start a constitutional committee, it will be a new test ofpolitical will. Will the Government engage seriously and show a willingness to address rea1 grievances - grievances that have been present since the very origin of this horrible conflict?”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“In that regard, and contrary to the spirit of building mutual confidence, we have been very concerned at times by the recent and credible reports of some type of intimidation and coercion of persons reportedly on the list for the constitutional committee and their family members inside Syria. Those reports have become more frequent in recent days and, frankly, we consider that very worrisome. This is therefore a fundamental reminder of the need for concrete steps towards what we call a safe, calm and neutral environment. That is also one of the things that refugees and internally displaced persons have been telling us in no uncertain terms. They want a safe and neutral environment.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“It will be vital for the Council to support regular reviews of the progress of the committee's work and any adjustments required along the road in order to help a Syrian-owned and Syrian-led constitutional committee, in accordance with the implementation of resolution 2254 (2015). The United Nations alone has the legitimacy and mandate to bless - at least at the initial stage - the constitutional committee, given the circumstances in Syria. That is the role that the Security Council can play. That must be accompanied by parallel efforts to ensure a full ceasefire, see detainees and abductees released at scale, build confidence, create a safe, calm and neutral environment with reforms of governance, and lay the ground for United Nations-supervised elections, as per resolution 2254 (2015).”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“My consultations also leave me confident that it is understood that the constitutional committee will draft a constitutional reform and that the United Nations will have the crucial role of accompanying and facilitating this Syrian-owned process. It is also crucial to identify how the smaller drafting body would be selected and begin to work. The parties therefore need to buy into those key details. Let us be frank. I know that we always tend to look at the glass as either half full or half empty, but there has been real progress made. We nearly have a list. The rules ofprocedure have become a little clearer, but we need to go that extra mile. If a constitutional committee is established, it will of course be done with the blessing of the Security Council. That would have to happen in any case.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“There is also a need to identify with greater precision the remainder of the package with the parties on board so that the constitutional committee - when it meets - can effectively function, delivering outcomes in line with its own mandate as a genuine instrument within a larger political process towards sustainable peace. In that respect, my consultations leave me confident that it should be possible to agree on a 75 -per cent voting threshold and balanced co-chairmanship arrangements. I should like to add, if I may, that regardless of who the co-chairs are, if one is from the Government then the other should be a member of the opposition, and one of them should be a woman, given that women represent some 51 to 55 per cent of the population.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“Having examined the names, the Secretariat assessed that it would not yet feel fully comfortable in giving the United Nations stamp of legitimacy to all 50 names as meeting the necessary criteria of credibility and balance; hence, at our suggestion, the need to go the extra mile. We have seen the loss of some experienced experts of excellent credentials, who would also have been natural bridge-builders. We know that no list will ever be perfect, but in our assessment the list needed a further review and some extra miles to be put in.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“In recent weeks, diplomacy beyond the United Nations Secretariat has intensified, leading to a meeting that I hosted in Geneva on Tuesday with the Foreign Ministers of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey. The Secretary- General was closely involved throughout. The three Foreign Ministers provided the United Nations with significant joint input regarding the constitutional committee. That significant joint input comprised 50 names, drawing partly on my own suggestions, as their proposal for the middle third list for the constitutional committee.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“To overcome the Government's concerns, while not losing the engagement of the opposition and maintaining the quality and legitimacy of the overall package, I indicated that the United Nations would be receptive to modest, credible and balanced proposals, while bearing in mind its mandate and responsibilities in the context of the need to finalize the package. We understand that it is a great responsibility for the United Nations because it is to exercise its mandate and it is expected not to accept any kind of diktat with regard to convening the constitutional committee or finalizing the package.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“The Government had strong objections to the list and indicated that it would work with the conveners of the Sochi meeting on a different list and that the United Nations should wait for that input. On 27 October in Istanbul, the leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Turkey agreed that the end of December should be a target, considering the circumstances, for the establishment of the constitutional committee. The Secretary-General tasked me, before moving on, to verify whether it was possible to establish a credible, balanced, inclusive, Syrian-owned, Syrian-led, United Nations-facilitated constitutional committee to draft a constitutional reform for popular approval and to fundamentally advance that objective.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“It was accepted that that would therefore form a constitutional committee of 150 members. It was accepted that a drafting body of a maximum of 45 people would be identified, with 15 from each of the three groups. It was accepted that conducive chairing and decision-making arrangements needed to be clearly identified. It was affirmed that the constitutional committee would be convened under United Nations auspices in Geneva. Five months ago, the United Nations put forward a consolidated proposed middle third list, based on credibility, balance and inclusivity, including aiming at an overall minimum of 30 per cent women on the constitutional committee. The opposition did not entirely like that list but agreed not to question it in the spirit of moving forward.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“Since the Sochi meeting, over the course of almost a year, I have been undertaking a marathon of consultations with Syrian and international stakeholders, in particular the conveners of the Sochi meeting, to enable the establishment of a Syrian-owned, Syrian- led, United Nations-facilitated, balanced, inclusive and credible constitutional committee in Geneva. I will not recount all the steps of that diplomacy. However, let me reiterate the key points so that we know where we stand before I pass the issue on to my successor. The Government and the opposition have conveyed 50 names each and agreed not to question the 50 names of the other side. It was accepted that there should be 50 names on a middle third list, meeting the criteria of the Sochi final statement.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“Russia and the United Nations clearly understood that the Special Envoy was to facilitate that process and enjoyed the prerogative of finalization in the formation of the constitutional committee. The Special Envoy would be able to identify members of that committee from a Sochi pool of candidates, as well as to draw on other people from outside that pool, if required, to ensure a credible and balanced committee. The United Nations facilitation of that process was the clear basis for moving forward.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“In Sochi it was agreed that such a committee would at the very least comprise Government and opposition representatives in the intra-Syrian talks, Syrian experts, civil society, independents, tribal leaders and women; that care would be taken to ensure adequate representation of Syria's ethnic and religious components; and that "final agreement" is to be reached in the United Nations-led Geneva process on the mandate and terms of reference, powers, rules of procedure and selection criteria for the composition of the constitutional committee. To that end, the Sochi final statement appealed "to the United Nations Secretary-General to assign the Special Envoy for Syria for the assistance of the constitutional committee work in Geneva".”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“It called for the formation of a constitutional committee with the purpose of drafting constitutional reform as a contribution to the political settlement under the United Nations auspices, in accordance with resolution 2254 (2015). I underline the word "contribution". The constitutional committee can thus be a key building block in a real political process - an important entry point so to say - but certainly not the only one. Syrians know that, and Council members and I know that.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“By the end of 2017, Russia, Turkey and Iran were preparing to convene a gathering of Syrians in Sochi. I attended the Sochi meeting on the guidance of the Secretary-General in the light of the understanding reached by the Secretary-General and myself in Vienna with diplomats of the Russian Federation that the Sochi meeting would make a contribution by enabling the United Nations to establish under its auspices in Geneva a key element in the architecture of the broader process that the realization of resolution 2254 (2015) requires. The Sochi final statement, which the Russian Federation circulated to the Council in the Chamber as an official document, affirmed the 12 Principles as the basis for the political settlement.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“As was recognized at the presidential level between the United States and the Russian Federation in Da Nang in November 2017, constitutional reform and United Nations-supervised elections in a safe and neutral environment open the way for the concrete implementation of resolution 2254 (2015). As I indicated a year and a day ago when I briefed the Security Council on 19 December 2017 (see S/PV.8142), the United Nations has identified, through baskets 2 and 3 of the Geneva process, 11 parameters - these are set out in the written briefing that I will circulate to members - for a constitution-making process and 6 insights on United Nation-supervised elections. In my assessment, those are broad commonalties that could guide the parties and that would, in any case, guide the United Nations and my successor as a facilitator.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“Those issues include sovereignty and unity; governance and democracy; the separation of powers and human rights; religion and the State; decentralization; measures against terrorism; respect for all components of Syrian society; the full participation of women; the right of refugees to return to their homes and land and so on. Logically, a Syrian-owned and Syria-led political process, facilitated by the United Nations, must ensure the genuine realization in practice, not only in words, of the Principles through agreements, mechanisms and concrete steps, guided by resolution 2254 (2015).”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“Despite that, the United Nations-facilitated Geneva talks identified a clear agenda of four baskets of issues based on resolution 2254 (2015). Members are very familiar with them, but we should recall them because we do not want to lose what has been achieved. Those baskets produced 12 Living Intra-Syrian Essential Principles, developed with the extensive input of the Government and the opposition and through consultation with a broad cross-section of civil society and Syrian women. The 12 Principles are a foundation on which my successor can work. They provide a vision for the future of Syria that can be shared by all, as well as carefully crafted formulas on key issues that can be the basis for future work.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“One ofthose areas - Idlib, where there are more than 3 million civilians - did hold and is still holding and we all support that arrangement. In the meantime, despite the establishment of a working group in December - which, we must recognize, is always better than nothing - results on detainees, abductees and missing persons fell short of hopes. It did, however, produce initial concrete, albeit modest movement recently. From the point of view of the Syrian people, however, it is unacceptable that tens of thousands languish in detention, remain unaccounted for amid fear, torture or death, or being unaccounted for. We have never had a so-called nationwide ceasefire for any length of time or the real confidence-building that resolution 2254 (2015) envisaged, alongside the Geneva political talks. However, we did often get close.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“We also saw serious attempts to support the Geneva talks on a political transition via the International Syria Support Group. However, that promise has not yet been fulfilled. The unity here is not yet strong enough, and the forces that have been trying to complicate peacemaking have at times proven to be stronger. By the start of 2017, in Astana Iran, Russia and Turkey committed to cooperating on de-escalation and confidence-building. Jordan, the United States and the Russian Federation began to work on de-escalation in the south-west later in the year. Although the results were mixed, but lives were saved. Sadly however, three of the four de-escalation arrangements that did stand came to an end. There were also lives lost.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“For that reason, I am very confident about what I am saying. However, let us make no mistake, and here please allow me to pay deep respect to Kofi Arman and Lakhdar Brahimi. As with my own predecessors and me, the success of my successor will depend on the Council's unity and determination to empower and support the United Nations and to pressure all parties to begin real dialogue, negotiate and compromise with a view to addressing the grievances of the Syrian people and implementing resolution 2254 (2015). Following the adoption of resolution 2254 (2015), we did see serious attempts to put in place a ceasefire and to cooperate in countering terrorism, which is and will continue to be the priority of all ofus because it has been threatening everyone in this Chamber and beyond.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“We know what is needed for a safe, calm, neutral environment in Syria and for United Nations-supervised elections of the highest international standards pursuant to a new, reformed constitution, but we have not been able to begin the full work required to make that a reality. I deeply regret what has not been achieved, and I am sorry that it has not been possible to do more. I think we in the Security Council should share in that regret. I know we do. However, we have identified and put in place some of the crucial foundation on which the future process can build. My successor has all the skills and ability to work out what combination of continuity and change is required. He was my successor in Lebanon. He did better than I did. He is a friend and someone we all respect. He has been tested and is someone that many Council members know.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“We have with determination promoted the involvement of Syrian women in the search for a peaceful settlement to the crisis. They know what their country is facing; they constitute more than half of the population, even though their participation is constantly challenged. We have with equal determination promoted the meaningful inclusion and substantive participation of civil society; but this, too, is constantly challenged. We have nearly completed the work of putting in place a constitutional committee to draft a constitutional reform, as a contribution to the political process, but there is an extra mile to go.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“We stimulated humanitarian access to places that were not getting it, although nowhere near what civilians desperately needed and asked for. We have convened the Government and the opposition and assisted in the process of uniting the opposition, although we must admit that we have not yet had the parties really recognize each other as interlocutors with whom they must do business and actually negotiate, let alone reach agreements. We have elaborated with the parties key principles for a common future and settlement, but we have not yet turned these into real mechanisms for implementation. We have identified a clear agenda accepted by the parties that would facilitate negotiation, but we have not yet been able to tap into its potential.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“That is why a real political process is required. The Security Council outlined the elements for the political process in resolution 2254 (2015). The Council exclusively mandated the United Nations to convene the parties, facilitate the political process and finalize participation, with full respect for Syria's sovereignty and the ability of the Syrian people to choose their own representatives, with the purpose of enabling the Syrian people to determine independently and democratically their own future - all while stressing the vital, parallel importance of a nationwide ceasefire. With this mandate, I believe that we have made some difference. To be frank, it is not enough, but we have made some difference - together. We have saved lives with some ceasefires and de-escalations; albeit limited in scope and in time, they did save lives.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“This conflict has been and remains a tragedy for the Syrian people. It has been a dirty, brutal and horrific war. It has seen all the faultiness within Syria, the region and the world prevail over the will of the Syrian people, Syrian unity, regional stability and international cooperation. No effort - not mine nor that of the Council or of anyone else - has been able to completely stop the logic of war from prevailing. However, we hope that we are getting close to that point. In spite of several ceasefires and some moments of real hope, the battlefield has all too often prevailed over peace talks. There have been constant shifts. Now is the time to look even more closely at the ultimate question: Will peace be won? We believe that it should and it can. Will it be sustainable? We believe that it can and it should be.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“I congratulate you, Mr. President, on your assumption of your important role this month. Please allow me to say a few words. My statement will be a bit long because, as you know, this will be the last statement I shall make under my current mandate. (spoke in English) I thank you for this opportunity to deliver my monthly briefing for the final time under this mandate. I am circulating the full written statement to the Council. I pray the Council will forgive me for the length of this statement. It is longer than usual, but there is a reason for that. I have served as Special Envoy of the Secretary- General for Syria for four years and fourmonths - almost exactly the length of the First World War. The Syrian people have been enduring a conflict for seven and a half years - longer than the Second World War.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8434 (2018) · source
“The United Nations remains ready for the establishment of the constitutional committee. It is prepared to do its part, and I personally will spare no effort towards that goal up until the final day of my tenure.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source
“For that reason, in the same resolution, the Security Council gave the United Nations the mandate to convene a political process, which, must, inter alia, identify a process and schedule for drafting a new constitution. As I have repeatedly stated, the Sochi meeting itself appealed to the United Nations to convene the constitutional committee in Geneva and was accompanied by a firm understanding in that regard. At my last briefing in December, it will be my duty to explain where we are in terms of the constitutional committee and to leave a clean and clear path to my successor in that regard. In other words, we are in the final days of the attempts to implement the constitutional committee in line with resolution 2254 (2015) and the Sochi final statement. The weeks to come will be of crucial importance in that regard.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source
“Respect for Syria's sovereignty has never been called into question. I would like to remind Ambassador Ja'afari, who is present in the Chamber and often talks about it, that the United Nations has never questioned Syria's sovereignty. Resolution 2254 (2015) is explicitly prefaced by a strong commitment to Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity. It makes clear that the process must be Syrian-owned and Syrian-led. However, let us also remember that this is a constitutional discussion in the context of one of the most tragic, brutal, cruel and merciless armed conflicts of this century. The Syrian people therefore must be enabled independently and democratically to determine their own future. That is called sovereignty of the people.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source
“Those are some of the criteria I had in mind when I constructed the elements that are currently on the table, and they will remain the litmus test for how I will be assessing any suggestion regarding a credible, balanced and legitimate constitutional committee. If that is not going to happen, we may have to conclude then that it may not be possible to form a constitutional committee that is credible and inclusive at this stage. In such an unfortunate case, I would certainly be ready to explain to the Council why it had arisen. However, let me be clear that our aim is and remains for the United Nations to issue invitations at the latest by mid-December and to convene a first meeting of the constitutional committee before 31 December, which is the date indicated in the very constructive Istanbul declaration.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source
“Finally, a key part of legitimacy, which is very important to me and, I know, to the Secretary-General, is for the committee to contain a minimum of 30 per cent of women. The Government and the opposition lists fell short of that standard. In fact, the Government was better than the opposition. We need the middle third list to make up for that. The United Nations-facilitated middle list, as it stands, is on the table and encompasses all those dimensions. Of course, credibility, balance and international legitimacy also relate to the overall package, including voting, the mandate, the chairmanship and the role of the United Nations. For instance, for us, credible rules of procedure mean that they do not make it possible for any single party to dictate or to encourage paralysis.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source
“I mean that the middle third list cannot just be a vehicle for political representatives, particularly eminent political leaders, of the political side, whether the Government or the opposition side. Civil society - the Syrian people - deserves a voice in a process that will determine their future. The first and second lists include political representatives, so here we should include the other Syrians. To be credible and productive, the constitutional committee should contain experts who are known not only for their own relevant technical prowess, but who are broadly acceptable and known for their own skills in bridge-building between the sides. I also mean that there must be a balance of political orientations, including space for people who do not identify with the Government or the opposition.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source
“By that time, the Presidents of the Russian Federation and the United States of America will also have met on the margins of the Group of 20 meeting in Buenos Aires, where, presumably, they will also be discussing Syria. Many other important consultations will have taken place by then as well. As I told the Council from Beirut, the United Nations welcomes and indeed encourages constructive and moderate suggestions on the issue of constitutional committee as long as they maintain the same spirit of credibility, balance and international legitimacy of the middle third list. Let me unpack what I mean by that. I mean that the middle third list must fulfil the Sochi declaration criteria of "Syrian experts, civil society, independents, tribal leaders and women, [and] adequate representation of Syria's ethnic and religious components".”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source
“It is also clear that the meeting in Astana will take place against the backdrop of the efforts being made by the same three countries, in their own capacity as conveners of the Sochi meeting almost a year ago, to begin the implementation of their own final statement. It was in January that the Sochi declaration made clear that they, and all of us, wanted to establish a constitutional committee. I will be closely monitoring to see if the progress will be useful in informing the preparations for the Astana meeting in relation to the constitutional committee. As members can see, there are many strands of work under way, and we will draw final conclusions only in December.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source
“Let me note, apart from what I have said and going back to the political context, the announcement that the three guarantors - the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey - will meet again in Astana at the senior level on 28 and 29 November. We believe that the meeting should be an opportunity for them to consolidate their efforts on the implementation of the Idlib memorandum of understanding. On the issue of detainees, abductees and missing people, we strongly urge them to make the kind of progress that we have so far not seen and which has been forecast in that context. Many thousands of families in Syria are asking for no less.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source
“Thirdly, there have been reports of tensions between the Turkish armed forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces along the Turkey-Syria border. Fourthly, there are reports of detainees facing new death penalties in Syria. Fifthly, a breakthrough convoy to Rukban has been facilitated - and we are very pleased to see that type of cooperation - by the Russian Federation, the Government, the United States and Jordan. My own colleagues returned from the area expressing shock at the terrible human misery in that stretch of the desert, including reports of severe protection issues, such as sexual and gender-based violence and the recruitment of child soldiers in that camp. Recently, we received some good news of the liberation in the south of children and women, who had been held by ISIL for far too long.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source
“An Iranian delegation came to see me just a few hours ago here in my office in Geneva on that subject, after its members had themselves been in Damascus. Senior Russian, Iranian and United States officials have also been travelling the region recently. Presidents Erdogan and Putin are meeting, as far as I understand, today and tomorrow in Istanbul. Regarding the broader atmospherics, since this briefing is predominantly a political one, allow me to briefly refer to some bullet points. First, we have noted some violations in Idlib, but, as we have said, they have been limited so far, as well as some infighting there. Secondly, there have been signs of activities of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in eastern Syria, with reports of many civilian deaths resulting from the fighting with ISIL.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source
“I have been, as Council members know, in various places, and in London I hosted a consultation, within the context of the Geneva process, with senior officials of the small group, comprising Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the United States. I also had a bilateral meeting with the Geneva negotiations head of the Syrian High Negotiations Committee, Naser Al-Hariri, who briefed me on the Committee's in-depth discussions that they are having in Riyadh on the constitutional issues. In fact, he indicated that they are ready to move forward and participate in any meeting convened by the United Nations within that context. I have been in contact with officials from Russia, Turkey, the United States and other countries.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source
“Thirdly and, frankly, perhaps most importantly, the declaration outlined very concrete steps towards that political package by calling for the establishment and early convening, considering the circumstances, of the constitutional committee in Geneva by the end of this year with a view to achieving constitutional reform, paving the way for free and fair elections under United Nations supervision and in compliance with the highest international standards of transparency and accountability, with all Syrians, including members of the diaspora, who are eligible to participate. Since Istanbul, I have been proactively in touch with relevant players.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source
“Let me translate that for the Council, if I may. It is clear that we need to establish the basic conditions ofa safe, calm and neutral environment that will help to realize the conditions conducive to the safe and voluntary return of millions of IDPs and refugees, which is, in any case, a fundamental element of a political package to implement resolution 2254 (2015).”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source
“However, it is still holding and it is holding much better than we had ever dreamt, so we should be keeping our fingers crossed. But any civilian from either side of the front line would definitely say that the overall situation has improved from that of a few months ago. That should be preserved and built upon. We therefore echo the emphasis of the Istanbul summit final declaration on the lasting ceasefire in Idlib. Secondly, the declaration called for creating the conditions for the safe and voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their original places of residence in Syria. The guarantors underscored that returnees needed security from armed conflict, political persecution and arbitrary arrests, as well as humanitarian infrastructure, including water, electricity and health and social services.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source
“I saw how much importance the four leaders and their teams gave to the issue of the constitutional committee in hours of tough negotiation, including at the highest level. The four leaders were able to find common ground. They took many of my own messages on board and they produced a final declaration that I saw as positive and helpful. Other Governments have also thereafter welcomed it. Let me highlight three aspects in particular. First, the declaration commended the progress made in implementing the Idlib memorandum. We all know how concerned we were just over one month ago about the developments in Idlib. We therefore also assessed that there continues to be progress on the implementation of the memorandum. We acknowledge that there have been occasional setbacks, including reports of violations on the part of both sides.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source