YouSaid · the spoken record

Geir Pedersen

lines on the record: 181
first: 2020-03-30
most recent: 2021-05-26
sittings or episodes: 12
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

“And I hope that our joint efforts can bring about a lasting political settlement for Syria that meets the legitimate aspirations of its people and fully restores its sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity, in line with resolution 2254 (2015).”
2021-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/506 (2021) · source
“As I said to you last month, I believe that more and more players are receptive to this idea and want to see if it can be operationalized. I am convinced that it can. In the meantime, we continue to benefit from our engagement with the Syrian Women’s Advisory Board following their meeting in Geneva from 26 to 29 April. We will also continue to consult the widest range of Syrian voices, communities, groups and parties from all areas of the country. Just this past month, we consulted some 200 Syrian civil society representatives through the Civil Society Support Room. Our interlocutors remain steadfast in their demand for an end to the conflict and to the suffering of the Syrian people. I count on the support of this Council. I remain open to your advice.”
2021-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/506 (2021) · source
“As recent weeks have shown, unresolved conflicts tend to explode in ways that we cannot predict. There are great dangers in not seizing the opportunity that the current period affords us. Despite the many catastrophes that Syrians face, there is relatively more calm on the ground than there has been in previous years. There is a shared sense that no one can dictate the conflict’s outcome. And there are common interests in many key areas. Syria needs serious attention so that we can build on this dynamic. As I continue my efforts to get the Constitutional Committee back on track, I will also be continuing a series of consultations with key stakeholders to look at ways to narrow the differences among them, particularly on a new form of constructive international diplomacy and a step-for-step approach.”
2021-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/506 (2021) · source
“The United Nations is not involved in this election and has no mandate to be involved. The United Nations continues to stress the importance of a negotiated political solution in Syria to implement resolution 2254 (2015). This remains the only sustainable path to ending the conflict and the suffering of the Syrian people. It is a source of regret that, despite our best efforts, there has been little progress this month, and indeed at all, in advancing the different dimensions of resolution 2254 (2015). The broad contours of a political solution to the conflict are well under stood by key stakeholders, yet none is willing to take the first step. If we continue like this, if key players are more invested in conflict management than conflict resolution, I fear that Syria will become another protracted conflict, lasting generation s.”
2021-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/506 (2021) · source
“We will, of course, brief the middle third list when we reach such an understanding. The United Nations remains ready to convene a further session in Geneva as soon as a clear understanding is in place. As provided for in resolution 2254 (2015), a political process for a solution to the conflict would include free and fair elections, in accordance with a new constitution, administered under United Nations supervision to the highest international standards of transparency and accountability, with all Syrians, including members of the diaspora, eligible to participate. We take note that, today, a presidential election is being held under the auspices of the current constitution. As indicated previously, this is not part of the political process called for in Security Council resolution 2254 (2015).”
2021-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/506 (2021) · source
“I continue to facilitate efforts to hold a sixth session of the small body of the Committee. Such a session needs to be carefully prepared, built on assurances that it adheres to and implements the terms of reference and core rules of procedure. It needs to restore and build some trust and confidence, and produce results and continued progress on the Committee’s mandate to prepare and draft, for popular approval, a constitutional reform. The Co-Chair of the Syrian Negotiation Commission communicated his acceptance of my 15 April compromise bridging proposal on 28 April. The Co -Chair nominated by the Government of Syria sent his formal response on 5 May. Deputy Special Envoy Matar will be travelling to Damascus in the coming days to pursue a clear understanding on my compromise proposal.”
2021-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/506 (2021) · source
“Constructive and comprehensive international diplomacy on Syria is essential, so that all of the key stakeholders, with the influence and authority to promote progress towards peace in Syria, can be at the same table. This can help in developing a step-for-step approach, so that those international stakeholders, and Syrian parties too, can overcome their mistrust by laying out and agreeing precise, realistic packages of mutual and reciprocal steps to be taken, with parallel implementation and verification. These are all well-known elements that, if realized, would help to implement my mandate, Security Council resolution 2254 (2015). A credible Syrian-led and Syrian-owned Constitutional Committee, under the facilitation of the United Nations, is an important component of a wider process.”
2021-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/506 (2021) · source
“I have recently engaged the Syrian Government again, seeking information on the latest presidential decree of 2 May and proposing several concrete steps that could be taken on various aspects of this crucial file. We will continue to pursue that discussion. Steps are needed that can create a safe, calm and neutral environment inside of Syria. A conducive environment is required for refugees and internally displaced persons to return to their homes, safely, voluntarily and with dignity. We must continue to work for the meaningful participation of Syrian women in the political process. We must also facilitate the involvement of a wider range of Syrians, including Syrian civil society, in the process.”
2021-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/506 (2021) · source
“As the Secretary-General told the General Assembly, a large-scale cross-border response for an additional 12 months remains essential to save lives. I appeal for the members of the Council to focus on achieving consensus to that end. It is important to avoid and mitigate any humanitarian effects of sanctions that could exacerbate the plight of ordinary Syrians, for example by overcompliance – something that needs to be worked on. A key priority must be unblocking progress on detainees, abductees and missing persons, including through unilateral releases and meaningful action regarding the missing, at a scale commensurate with the scope of this tragic issue.”
2021-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/506 (2021) · source
“It is important to combat Security Council-listed terrorist groups, through an approach that is effective, cooperative and inclusive of all relevant actors, and which upholds the principles of international law and prioritizes the protection of civilians. The humanitarian situation is dire and must be addressed with urgency. I am sure that Under-Secretary-General Lowcock will elaborate on this in his intervention – including flaring coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in some quarters, water cuts and restrictions, and low water levels in the Euphrates, impacting millions of Syrians. Let me also stress, as he will, the fundamental importance of full, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access to all parts of Syria, through intensified cross-line and cross-border deliveries.”
2021-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/506 (2021) · source
“Basic services such as water, electricity and health remain compromised in many areas. In short, we see the same suffering and the same pattern of events and dynamics month on month – a pattern which, I fear, is slowly inching Syrians towards an even deeper abyss. The solutions remain unchanging too. What is required is a Syrian-led and -owned political solution, facilitated by the United Nations and backed by constructive international diplomacy. There are several things on which we have to work: We need a lasting nationwide ceasefire, building on the existing calm brought about by international arrangements and understandings between key international actors.”
2021-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/506 (2021) · source
“But recurring signs of a hot conflict are abundant: Spikes in mutual shelling and three air strikes in the north-west A cross-line raid into Syrian Government-held territory More shelling in and around Afrin and Ayn Issa The south-west as tense and turbulent as ever More air strikes attributed to Israel in Qunaytirah, Ladhiqiyah and Hama Reports of rockets launched from southern Syria towards the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan More attacks by Security Council-listed terrorist groups, including operations claimed by ISIL The economic situation for most Syrians has hardly improved. The Syrian pound has stabilized to some extent, including against a backdrop of new Syrian Government measures. But the prices of essential goods and transportation costs are increasingly beyond the grasp of many Syrians.”
2021-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/506 (2021) · source
“Let me start by highlighting the grave situation of ordinary Syrians. It is a tragic irony that this time of relative calm, compared with earlier years of the conflict, is also a period of immense and growing humanitarian suffering of the Syrian people. It is a time of economic destitution, pandemic, displacement, detention and abduction – all while violent conflict, terrorism and human rights abuses continue. These are the issues that are of deepest concern to Syrians today, that demand our attention, and on which a political process must deliver. The military situation is relatively calm in some areas, with front lines frozen and Russian mediation helping to de-escalate fighting in Qamishli.”
2021-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/506 (2021) · source
“But there are steps that could be taken to generate some movement, and it requires constructive international diplomacy to identify and implement them. I am open to any suggestions or advice, but I see no other path than this to help the Syrian people to navigate out of their terrible crisis and towards a better future that meets their legitimate aspirations and restores Syria’s sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“For now, let me say that the United Nations stands ready to convene a sixth session as soon as logistically possible once co-Chair agreement is in place. The Constitutional Committee is part of what must necessarily be a broader process to implement resolution 2254 (2015) — the kind of process that a step-by- step process can help unlock. That broader process is needed to gradually create the kind of safe, calm and neutral conditions in which a consensual and broadly supported constitutional reform could take hold in Syria. These are the same conditions needed for safe, dignified and voluntary return of Syrian refugees and for the kind of elections resolution 2254 (2015) mandates. We cannot get there all in one go.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“I shared with both co-Chairs on 15 April a compromise bridging proposal, building on good ideas that each had included in their proposals and asking each to compromise. Let me note that it was regrettable that confidential elements of ongoing discussions found their way to the media. I am convinced that this proposal, if implemented, would help the Committee to move gradually forward on its work. I have also recently engaged the middle third civil society committee members. Just before this briefing, I received a formal response to my proposal from the co-Chair nominated by the Syrian Negotiation Commission. I was informed by the co-Chair nominated by the Syrian Government that a formal response would be received next week. I will await having both co-Chairs’ responses in hand and my engagement with them before further commenting.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“Assurances need to be in place to ensure that it implements the terms of reference, restores and builds some trust and confidence, and makes progress on the Committee’s mandate to prepare and draft for popular approval a constitutional reform. In other words, a sixth session needs to be different from what has gone before — with some clear goals, credible working methods, enhanced co-Chair cooperation and a future workplan. I have worked patiently with the co-Chairs to facilitate proposals between them and exchanges with me to find consensus on how such a session could take place. Since my last briefing, terminology not consistent with the terms of reference and genuine differences on methodology led to an impasse that I assessed could not be overcome by further exchanges between the co-Chairs.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“It was established and empowered by the agreement of the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic and the Syrian Negotiation Commission, as facilitated by the United Nations — namely, its terms of reference and core rules of procedure. The Committee operates in accordance with the terms of reference and core rules of procedure. Committee members confirmed this in a code of conduct they adopted by consensus. I appeal to the co-Chairs and all Committee members to respect the terminology in the terms of reference in their official dealings. I also appeal to them to adhere to the code of conduct in public statements. Secondly, I have been clear that, in the interests of the Syrians themselves, a sixth session of the small body of the Committee needed to be carefully prepared.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“The United Nations continues to stress the importance of a negotiated political solution to the conflict in Syria. In this regard, resolution 2254 (2015) mandates the United Nations to facilitate a political process that culminates in the holding of free and fair elections in accordance with a new Constitution, administered under United Nations supervision to the highest international standards of transparency and accountability, with all Syrians, including members of the diaspora, eligible to participate. Let me turn finally to the Constitutional Committee and preface my remarks with two points of context. First, the Committee is Syrian-led and Syrian-owned.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“There are no guarantees that common ground would be found, but I am convinced that it could be. There is enough at stake and enough common interest for us to try. We must begin to lay the groundwork for such an effort, conscious that it will require time and effort to come to fruition. With a relative, albeit fragile, calm on the ground and many capitals understanding the need for a way forward, we need to explore what is possible. We should not lose further time in exploring this seriously. We take note that a presidential election in Syria has been scheduled for 26 May. The election has been called under the auspices of the current Constitution and is not part of the political process established by resolution 2254 (2015). The United Nations is not involved in this election and has no mandate to be.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“I appreciate that key international interlocutors are expressing interest in this idea. At the same time, it is clear that mistrust and a desire for others to move first are prominent elements in the minds of many. I understand this. But there are ways to overcome these concerns. A new means of international discussion or a new international format could bring all of those stakeholders who can put something on the table to the table. Exploratory consultations could help test possibilities and bridge the gaps of mistrust that hinder such an effort. Key players could identify with realism and precision the mutual and reciprocal steps they can take and what they would seek in order to promote progress on resolution 2254 (2015). Well defined packages without ambiguity and parallel implementation and verification, as relevant, could help.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“I reiterate my appeal for the Syrian Government and all other Syrian parties to carry out unilateral releases of detainees and abductees and to undertake meaningful actions on missing persons at a scale that is commensurate with the scope of this tragic issue. The coming Eid Al-Fitr would be the obvious occasion for this kind of action. If this highly internationalized conflict is to move towards resolution, we need a more constructive and comprehensive international diplomacy on Syria to try to unlock progress step for step. I have spoken about this with the Syrian parties, and I will continue to do so in future engagements. I have also spoken about it in recent engagements with key interlocutors in Russia, the United States, Turkey, Iran, the Arab World, Europe and others on the Council.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“Together with my Deputy and supported by dedicated staff, I have engaged directly with the parties to this end, and we are continuing to do so. My office also participates in a working group, together with Iran, Russia and Turkey, and with the International Committee of the Red Cross as an observer, though this group has met only once in 14 months. Notwithstanding a modest number of detainees and abductees released in one-for-one simultaneous release operations, neither track has produced real progress. Specific ideas have been offered, including concrete procedures for clarifying the fate and whereabouts of missing persons, but these need to be operationalized.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“They stressed the need for progress regarding the thousands who remain detained, abducted or missing and called for a political solution in line with resolution 2254 (2015). Let me here reiterate the Secretary-General’s appeal regarding the importance of avoiding and mitigating any effects of sanctions measures on the capacity of Syrians to access food, essential health supplies and COVID-19 medical support. Allow me to stress again the importance of unblocking progress on detainees, abductees and missing persons. As long as this file remains largely frozen, many Syrians will be unable to even begin to think of moving on, and Syria’s social fabric cannot begin to be restored. I know first-hand the heavy toll this issue takes on families, through frequent contacts with family associations, women’s groups and ordinary Syrian citizens.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“I also appreciate and continue to appeal for continued donor support to the pillars of the humanitarian response plan: humanitarian assistance, protection, resilience and access to services. The diverse civil society that I continue to engage with via the United Nations Civil Society Support Room have conveyed shared concerns at the deteriorating situation for most Syrians. In a recent joint message delivered by some members at the Brussel conference at the end of March, they drew attention to the devastating impact of 10 years of war on Syria’s social fabric and the ongoing displacement and deteriorating situation for refugees. They called for increased humanitarian and livelihoods programmes and the application of all humanitarian exceptions to sanctions regimes.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“Under-Secretary-General Lowcock will highlight the humanitarian implications of this destitution and of flaring coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in some quarters and fresh cuts to water access for almost half a million people in Al-Hasakah. Let me also stress, as he will, the fundamental importance of full, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access to all parts of Syria, through intensified cross-line and cross-border deliveries. The Secretary-General stressed in his briefing to the General Assembly that a large-scale cross-border response for an additional 12 months remains essential to saving lives. I appeal to the members of the Council to focus on achieving consensus to that end.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“It is all too easy to become immune to these kinds of developments and the dangers they could lead to. A nationwide ceasefire as per resolution 2254 (2015) is essential, as is a cooperative approach to eradicating listed terrorist groups. I worry about the economic destitution facing the Syrian people in the context of a decade of conflict and destruction, corruption and mismanagement, war economies, the Lebanese financial collapse, the pandemic and sanctions. While the Syrian pound recovered some value this month, against a backdrop of Syrian Government measures, food prices remain at historic highs and inflation has not abated. 12.4 million are now food insecure, an increase of 4.5 million in the last year alone. Fuel shortages remain a key concern as well.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“The Syrian Government then activated its air defence system and Israel claimed that a missile emanating from Syria then struck Israeli territory. Israel said it then carried out further strikes inside Syrian territory. The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant continued to ramp up the scale and reach of attacks in central and north-eastern Syria — in one instance cells reportedly kidnapped dozens of civilians from rural Hama. Afrin, Tell Rifaat and Ayn Isa have all seen a steady rise in hostilities. Tensions in normally peaceful Qamishli flared into violent confrontation last week, causing civilian casualties and displacement. And the south-west remains perennially unstable, with abductions, killings, detention, widespread criminality and troop movements that bring the spectre of imminent escalation.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“I want today to sound a warning to all — a warning to prioritize the proactive search for a settlement of the Syria conflict. Despite more than a year of relative calm by Syrian standards, this month reminded us of the potential for the situation to further disintegrate or rapidly deteriorate. There has been a significant escalation in north-western Syria. This has included strikes on a United Nations-supported and notified hospital in western Aleppo, close to densely populated internally displaced persons camps and on the Syrian-Turkish border where United Nations cross-border humanitarian deliveries take place, as well as shelling on residential areas of western Aleppo city. On 22 April, air strikes inside Syria were attributed by the Syrian Government to Israel for the second time in a month.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“And with men killed and injured in large numbers, more women than ever are heading households, against the backdrop of violence, terrorism, displacement, instability, destitution and pandemic. When I met the Board on Monday, members voiced a shared fear of Syria’s permanent division and worries that differences among external actors would perpetuate the Syrian conflict. But they also spoke with hope and determination for a renewal of the political process, for a lasting calm across the country and for a new constitution that guarantees the rights and freedoms of all in Syria. They want to see an end to the conflict as a whole and a sustainable peace achieved with the meaningful participation of Syrian women, with women’s safety, basic needs, dignity, rights and equality at its core.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“The Syrian Women’s Advisory Board is meeting in Geneva this week, for the first time in person in a year. I thank the Swiss authorities for enabling this. Board members have been very active in providing me and my team with vital information from the ground and counsel on the political process. Though they represent different views and backgrounds on many issues, they continue to find ways to work together and even reach agreement often. In their diversity and commitment, they capture what many Syrians experience and they focus on what many Syrians want to achieve for their country. Let us not forget that, in addition to challenges facing all Syrians, many women have also experienced sexual and gender-based violence, early and forced marriage, and trafficking.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“With that goal in mind, let us ensure that Syria receives top level and sustained attention, and that we work together to implement resolution 2254 (2015).”
2021-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/265 (2021) · source
“I hope that the members of the Council will not give up either. At a time when there are so many pressing challenges, do not lose sight of the fundamental importance of a peaceful resolution of the Syrian conflict. A political solution is the only way out, and I am convinced that it is possible. In some ways, it is more possible now than before. But to turn those possibilities into realities, creative and high-level engagement from key international players with a stake in this conflict will be needed. Now is surely the time to advance a genuine political process that restores the sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity of Syria and enables the Syrian people to independently chart their own future.”
2021-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/265 (2021) · source
“I continue to facilitate their exchanges in the hope of concluding agreement. The United Nations will be ready to convene a sixth session as soon as an agreement is in place. I was able to brief you last week on International Women’s Day on the ways in which we are seeking, as facilitators, to ensure that the determination of Syrian women to play their full part in the political process is made real. I will continue to engage the Women’s Advisory Board for their insights and advice on all aspects of the process. Let me also stress that I will continue to engage the participants in the Civil Society Support Room — women and men. I pay tribute today to all those Syrians who continue to work day and night for peace. They have never given up hope, and neither will the United Nations.”
2021-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/265 (2021) · source
“A sixth session needs to be different from what has gone before, with some clear goals, credible working methods, enhanced co-Chair cooperation and a future work plan. I will continue to engage the Syrian parties, the Syrian co-chairs and the middle third as we seek to advance the Constitutional Committee. The co-Chair nominated by the Syrian Government, Ahmad al-Kuzbari, shared a proposal with me in Damascus on 23 February. I conveyed that to the co-Chair nominated by the Syrian Negotiations Commission, Hadi al-Bahra, who reverted with an amended proposal on 11 March. I have conveyed that to the co-Chair nominated by the Syrian Government. I have spoken to both co-Chairs in recent days. I appreciate that both co-Chairs have committed procedural proposals to writing, and they are both engaging.”
2021-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/265 (2021) · source
“It could also be a door opener to a broader process that could create safe, calm and neutral conditions for constitutional reform to take hold in Syria and for the conduct of free and fair elections, administered under United Nations supervision with all Syrians, including members of the diaspora, eligible to participate, and, of course, the safe, dignified and voluntary return of Syrian refugees — all in the context of progress in a steps- for-steps manner, as I have indicated. A sixth session of the small drafting body of the Constitutional Committee needs to be carefully prepared, and assurances should be in place to ensure that it implements the terms of reference and core rules of procedure, restores and builds some trust and confidence, and makes progress on the Committee’s mandate.”
2021-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/265 (2021) · source
“Let me also reiterate the Secretary-General’s appeal regarding the importance of avoiding and mitigating any effects of sanctions measures on the capacity of Syria to access food, essential health supplies and COVID-19 medical support, and on the plight of civilians across Syria. Let me finally turn to the work of the Syrian-led and -owned Constitutional Committee. As I have often said, it cannot on its own solve the conflict. But it could be a building block for intra-Syrian cooperation in implementing the call made by resolution 2254 (2015) for the drafting of a new constitution.”
2021-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/265 (2021) · source
“Neither my efforts nor those of the Working Group on this issue have produced the kind of progress needed. Yet I am absolutely convinced that if we could make inroads here, it would be an important humanitarian gesture, a vital confidence-builder, a signal to all Syrians and a circuit- breaker in the context of international diplomacy. I take this opportunity to strongly underline the need for full, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access to all parts of Syria. Intensified cross-line and cross- border deliveries are essential to reaching everyone in need, everywhere. I reiterate the appeal of the Secretary-General to the Security Council to achieve consensus on this crucial matter.”
2021-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/265 (2021) · source
“We all have to work in that direction, for the sake of the Syrian people. I discussed my thinking on all aspects of the political process recently in a first meeting in Damascus with Fayssal Mekdad, in his capacity as the new Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Syrian Arab Republic, and with the President of the Syrian Negotiations Commission, Anas Al-Abdah, in Istanbul, and in a range of international travels and virtual contacts. I will continue to explore possibilities. I believe that we need to continue quiet diplomacy in that regard, and I am working on this. In time we may need to try to put in place a new means of international discussion, a new international format for the necessary diplomacy and cooperation. Allow me to stress the importance of unblocking progress on the issue of detainees, abductees and missing persons.”
2021-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/265 (2021) · source
“What should be plain to each side is that progress on particular objectives is unlikely without matching progress on objectives of concern to the other side. Thus what is needed is to identify with realism and precision — and to implement in parallel — mutual and reciprocal steps-for-steps, step-by-step, from Syrian and international players. For that to succeed, the Syrian Government and opposition, as well as key international players, would need to be ready to identify not only what they realistically hope to achieve but also what they can put on the table in the context of advancing resolution 2254 (2015). We would need to break issues into their component parts and move in lockstep to make steady progress. There are many ways in which that could be done. But what is needed are good steps for good steps.”
2021-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/265 (2021) · source
“But I am absolutely convinced that they will not progress far if a Syrian-led process is not supported by a constructive international diplomacy on Syria. After all, this is among the most deeply internationalized conflicts of a generation, with many of the issues that matter most to Syrians not even in Syrian hands. I know that progress will not be easy. There is very little trust and confidence among the Syrians and between regional and international actors. The divisions are deep, and they are everywhere we look. But we need to find a way around the “you first” syndrome that characterizes much diplomacy on Syria. Right now, there are demands on all sides but little movement on any side.”
2021-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/265 (2021) · source
“That is why I will always stress, first and foremost, the importance of consolidating this fragile calm into a true nationwide ceasefire according to resolution 2254 (2015), together with a common approach to addressing the continuing challenge of listed terrorist groups in Syria. The other danger facing Syria is that, even if calm does not collapse, prolonged stasis sets in, and the Syrian people endure a new decade of desperation, despondency and despair. That is a grave danger, especially if Syria does not receive high-level and creative international diplomatic attention. Yes, the Syrian parties must negotiate a settlement in a Syrian-led process convened by the United Nations to implement resolution 2254 (2015), and they need to show the political will to do so.”
2021-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/265 (2021) · source
“But the calmest year of the Syrian conflict has still been tremendously violent by any other measure. There is still frequent mutual shelling and rocket fire along contact lines, and violent unrest. Air strikes from Syrian and foreign parties have continued, and listed terrorist groups remain active and present in Syria. Thus the lightning f lashes of war still crack daily in Syria, and dark clouds gather. The greatest danger of all is that the fragile calm will unravel, leading to a new storm of all-out conflict and all that it would mean for Syrians, the region and beyond.”
2021-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/265 (2021) · source
“Ordinary Syrians have also seen no compromise between incompatible political visions and no real progress in talks between the Government and the opposition to reconcile those visions. All Syrians have seen that the international community has been divided, trapped in geopolitical competition, caught in their own competing narratives and often focused on supporting one side in the conflict. The world has not succeeded in helping deliver the Syrians as one people from what the Secretary-General has called “a living nightmare”. I express the profound regret of the United Nations that we have yet not been able to mediate an end to this conflict. Amid that tragedy, one silver lining is that a relative calm now exists, at least in terms of front lines not shifting for a year now.”
2021-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/265 (2021) · source
“They have faced the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic with a depleted and devastated health system. Syrian women have faced conflict-related sexual violence — from all parties — and the rise in early and forced marriages. Most Syrian children have never lived a day without war. Many have gone without food, medicine or education, or been detained, recruited for battle, injured or killed. And every Syrian parent must feel anguish that the legacy of this conflict will last for the lifetime of every treasured newborn child. Syrians, meanwhile, observe that those responsible for actions that may amount to crimes against humanity or war crimes enjoy near-total impunity.”
2021-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/265 (2021) · source
“They have fled Syria often only to face further poverty and discrimination, or, worse, perishing at sea in search of refuge. They have been dispossessed of their lands and homes. They have watched their middle-income country dragged back into de-development and destitution on such a scale that it will take generations to rebuild. They have experienced corruption, mismanagement, sanctions and economic meltdown. Nine in 10 Syrians now live in poverty. Their currency has collapsed, with savings and livelihoods evaporating overnight, and their money worth a minuscule fraction of what it was before the war. They have waited for hours queueing for bread and fuel, searched the pharmacies for medicines that were not on the shelves, or found their hospitals lacking essential medical equipment.”
2021-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/265 (2021) · source
“They have been denied humanitarian assistance, sometimes under sieges in which perpetrators deliberately starved the population. They have faced human rights violations on an enormous and systematic scale and endured countless violations of international humanitarian law. They have seen the largest Security Council-listed terrorist organization in recent memory take over a third of their country — a group so violent and extreme that it enslaved women and girls and sold them in markets. They have seen foreign fighters flooding into their country. They have seen front lines and fault lines emerge across their country, as five foreign armies jostle in the theatre. They have been displaced into city-sized camps or to sleep in the open in olive groves and abandoned houses, only to be displaced again and again, in baking heat and freezing snow.”
2021-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/265 (2021) · source
“On this grim anniversary, I want to commemorate Syrian victims and remember Syrian suffering and resilience in the face of the unimaginable violence and indignities that all Syrians — men and women, from all areas and all backgrounds — have faced over 10 long years. They have been injured, maimed and killed in every way imaginable — their corpses even desecrated. They have been snatched from the streets, thrown into prisons or abducted, disappeared, mistreated, tortured, paraded in cages and ransomed or exchanged in prisoner-swap deals. They have witnessed their homes, markets, hospitals, schools and utilities being destroyed by air strikes, barrel bombs, rocket and mortar fire and improvised explosive devices. They have endured the unspeakable horrors of chemical weapons.”
2021-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/265 (2021) · source
“The Syrian conflict has now raged for 10 years — roughly the length of the First World War and the Second World War combined. Ten years ago, peaceful popular demonstrations were violently suppressed. Syria was sent into a spiral of armed conflict. In time many countries, and fighters from across the whole world, came to Syria to fight in one form or another. It must sometimes feel to ordinary Syrians that they are trapped in an endless and global conflict. The Syrian tragedy will go down as one of the darkest chapters in recent history, with the Syrian people as among the greatest victims of this century.”
2021-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/265 (2021) · source
“Syria has a great and proud history, but it is enduring the most profound tragedy. We need to begin to unlock progress, step by step, in a reciprocal and mutually reinforcing manner, along the path prescribed by resolution 2254 (2015). If we do not, the dangers to Syria’s civilians, to Syria as a State, to its society and to the region will only grow. That cannot be acceptable to any Syrian or to any of us. That is why I count on the support of the Security Council and all key actors for maintaining calm nationwide, supporting confidence-building and moving the political process forward.”
2021-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/75 (2021) · source