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

“The Committee can do this, I believe, by beginning to consider specific constitutional issues and draft provisions. I also believe that the Chairs can and should reach agreement on a workplan for future meetings with clear agendas and topics, and there needs to be more urgency in the process. I believe that all those are reasonable goals, but I cannot assure the Council that they will be met this time. My consultations are ongoing and will continue in Geneva this weekend before the Committee session begins. I strongly appeal to the Chairs and to all members of the Committee to be ready to move to a new phase of work in this next session. This is no doubt a time of huge global and regional challenges. We must ensure that addressing the conflict in Syria is high among our shared priorities.”
2021-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/75 (2021) · source
“They stress that, in the process, the core constitutional rights of women across political, social and economic spheres must be safeguarded. They have pressed for more concrete and tangible progress in the work of the Constitutional Committee. The moment pandemic conditions allow, I hope we will be able to reconvene the Board in person. I see the coming session of the Constitutional Committee as very important. For more than a year, many subjects have been discussed. I believe that the time has come for the Chairs to establish effective and operational working methods, so that the meetings are better organized and more focused. I believe that we need to ensure that the Committee begins to move from “preparing constitutional reform” to “drafting a new constitution”, as it is mandated to do.”
2021-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/75 (2021) · source
“We highly appreciate the cooperation of the Swiss authorities in enabling the session to go ahead, and we appreciate the commitment of the Chairs and Constitutional Committee members to respecting the measures put in place. I hope that I will soon be able to continue my consultations with the Syrian Government in Damascus and with the Syrian Negotiations Commission on the overall political process. In the meantime, in preparing for the Constitutional Committee session, I have been virtually engaging with the two Chairs. I also met virtually with the middle third civil society group yesterday. Let me also note that I met virtually with the Syrian Women’s Advisory Board twice in December. I look forward to engaging the Board virtually again this week and next. Its members have emphasized the importance of women’s full participation.”
2021-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/75 (2021) · source
“I look forward to continuing to do so, including of course with the new United States Administration, which takes office today. As I pursue this wider path, I continue to work with the Syrian-led, Syrian- owned, United Nations-facilitated Constitutional Committee. The fifth session of the Committee’s small body will convene in Geneva next week, from 25 to 29 January, coronavirus disease (COVID-19) conditions permitting. It will — as agreed and in line with the mandate, the terms of reference and core rules of procedure — discuss constitutional principles and basic principles a future constitution. I note that there are still considerable COVID-19 challenges in Geneva. We will be ensuring that the strictest health and safety protocols are followed.”
2021-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/75 (2021) · source
“After all, despite their differences, key States are committed to resolution 2254 (2015), and they have shared interests, including on such issues as stability, the containment of terrorism, the safe, dignified and voluntary return of refugees and preventing further conflict. We must be able to build on those aspects together. I am more convinced than ever that we need a comprehensive approach that addresses all issues and brings together all actors taking mutual and reciprocal steps on all the matters outlined in resolution 2254 (2015). Such an approach could unlock genuine progress and chart a safe and secure path out of the crisis for all Syrians, men and women alike. I continue to engage widely on this front with all key actors.”
2021-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/75 (2021) · source
“Free and fair elections to be held pursuant to a new constitution and under United Nations supervision, as envisaged in resolution 2254 (2015), seem far in the future. As I continue to take stock of the implementation of resolution 2254 (2015), it is clear that no one actor or group of actors can impose their will on Syria or settle the conflict. They must work together. Indeed, the process must be Syrian- owned and Syrian-led, even though the conflict is highly internationalized, with five foreign armies active in the country. We cannot pretend that the solutions are only in the hands of the Syrians, or that the United Nations can do it alone. That is why we need more serious and cooperative international diplomacy. This really should be possible.”
2021-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/75 (2021) · source
“But, as they stressed to me, the political process is not yet delivering real changes in the lives of the Syrian people, and neither is it providing a real vision for the future. Steps that could build confidence are not really being taken, including full and unhindered humanitarian access; progress on detainees, abductees and the missing — at the very least information on such persons, access to them and the release of women, children, the sick and elderly; a nationwide ceasefire; a cooperative and effective approach to countering the United Nations-listed terrorist groups; steps to create a safe, calm, neutral environment; or external and internal steps to address the socioeconomic crisis. Moreover, there are no political talks among the Syrians other than those on a constitutional track.”
2021-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/75 (2021) · source
“Civilians continue to be killed in ongoing cross-fire and attacks by improvised explosive devices. They continue to face a range of other dangers as well, from instability, arbitrary detention and abduction to criminality and the activities of United Nations-listed terrorist groups. As the Syrian people face poverty and insecurity — to say nothing of the unfulfilled hopes and dreams that so many of them have — I salute the work of all those Syrians in civil society who continue to strive to do what they can to improve the situation and support a political process. I was pleased to be able to engage with several of them in late December via our Civil Society Support Room.”
2021-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/75 (2021) · source
“A torn society faces a further unravelling of its social fabric, sowing the seeds for more suffering and even more instability. However, the Syrian people are at least seeing less all-out violence than they did before. The last 10 months have been the calmest since the conflict began, with the front lines barely shifting. But this is a fragile calm that could break down at any moment. The past month alone showed us an abrupt and significant escalation around Ayn Issa, in north-east Syria, an intensification of air strikes attributed to Israel, continuous attacks by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant in the east and central areas of the country, mutual shelling and air strikes in and around Idlib, as well as turbulence in the south-west. The calm is also a very relative calm.”
2021-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/75 (2021) · source
“Humanitarian assistance by States Members of the United Nations and donors remains a lifeline for Syrians. But trends are expected to worsen. A perfect storm of factors — the impact of a decade of conflict, global economic conditions owing to the pandemic, the spill- over from the Lebanese crisis, such internal factors as war economies, corruption, mismanagement, as well as external factors and measures — is producing a slow tsunami that is crashing across Syria. With rising inflation and bread and fuel shortages, we can expect the Syrian Government and other de facto authorities to be increasingly unable to provide basic services and subsidies for basic goods. The pandemic also continues to take its toll. Syrians are suffering. It remains essential to keep any sanctions from worsening their plight.”
2021-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/75 (2021) · source
“As the Syrian people face the year 2021, a decade of conflict has seen them experience death, injury, displacement, destruction, detention, torture, terror, violations, indignities, instability, intervention, occupation, division, de-development and destitution on a massive scale. Today millions inside the country and the millions of refugees outside are grappling with deep trauma, grinding poverty, personal insecurity and lack of hope for the future. For many, the daily struggle just to survive crowds out most other issues. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, more than 8 in 10 people in Syria are living in poverty. The World Food Programme has assessed that 9.3 million people inside the country are food insecure.”
2021-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/75 (2021) · source
“Given the deep divides in Syria, in the region and internationally, forging a consensus on exactly how to bring about mutual and reciprocal steps and a truly constructive Syria diplomacy is proving very difficult. But I am convinced it is possible and that there are common interests that make it so. I will continue to take stock — as I have started to do in recent weeks — by engaging the Syrian parties and key international stakeholders and seeking to identify new and additional ways to move the process forwards. Obviously, we cannot do that alone. We need the strong and united support of the Council in charting such a path towards the implementation of resolution 2254 (2015). I count on the support of the Council.”
2020-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1257 (2020) · source
“Only a political solution can end the suffering and prevent renewed conflict and instability, while protecting Syria’s civilians and the region from further grave danger. As we look back on 2020, we have two elements to build on — a relative calm with no shift in front lines since March 2020 and a Constitutional Committee. As we look to 2021, we need a deeper and broader process — a nationwide ceasefire, S/2020/1257 substantive constitutional drafting and a wider effort to address the full range of issues, with actions to build confidence and movement, step for step. That will require a new form of international cooperation on Syria, with key players at the table and key issues on the table.”
2020-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1257 (2020) · source
“I believe that much more can be done to address the range of conditions that should be in place for refugees and IDPs to return in a safe, voluntary and dignified manner. Ultimately, following the adoption of a new Constitution and the creation of a safe, calm and neutral environment, resolution 2254 (2015) calls for free and fair elections, administered under United Nations supervision, to the highest standards of transparency and accountability and with the participation of all eligible Syrians, including the diaspora. Let us be honest: after nearly a decade of conflict, the political process has not delivered for the Syrian people and they continue to suffer deeply, both inside and outside Syria.”
2020-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1257 (2020) · source
“There has still been no meaningful action on detainees, abductees and missing persons, especially of late. Frankly, I am disappointed at where this file stands. It is not moving. Yet when we look at other examples in the region — take Yemen, for instance — it must be possible to unblock it. There is a need for meaningful action at scale, including access to prisons and detention facilities; the release of women, children, the sick and the elderly; and information on the missing. That is a humanitarian imperative and is also essential for building confidence and infusing the entire political process with much-needed hope. The millions of Syrians who are refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs) are not returning to their homes at any meaningful scale.”
2020-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1257 (2020) · source
“The humanitarian situation of millions of Syrians remains precarious and even catastrophic for some. As we have just heard from Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock and as he told the Council, much more must be done to ensure the necessary access and resources to meet their needs, with food insecurity a particular concern. Indeed, Syrian civilians continue to suffer profound economic hardship, particularly with fresh currency depreciation and shortages of bread, fuel and medicine in the middle of what is set to be a hard winter, with the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to spread. I continue to believe that more can and should be done to address those conditions, including by ensuring that any sanctions avoid aggravating the plight of Syrian civilians.”
2020-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1257 (2020) · source
“The dangers of renewed conflict are ever-present in the north-west, the south-west and even in the north-east, where there were troubling signs of tensions this month. Much more can and should be done to address terrorist groups in a manner that is consistent with international humanitarian law and ensures the protection of civilians. With five international armies operating in Syria, the country remains a tinderbox for a major international incident, with potential implications across the region. Much more can be done to safeguard international peace and security, while also looking at practical and concrete ways to safeguard and restore Syria’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity in the context of the resolution 2254 (2015) process. To achieve that, key players will need to be ready to come to the table together.”
2020-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1257 (2020) · source
“They also remind us that there is a range of issues beyond the constitution that are of urgent concern to ordinary Syrians, as identified in resolution 2254 (2015), and need to be addressed. Violent conflict and terrorism continue to be a stark reality for Syrians. Thanks to existing arrangements, including those involving Russia, Turkey and the United States, a fragile calm continues and there are ongoing efforts to address listed terrorist groups, including the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and Hayat S/2020/1257 Tahrir Al-Sham. But that continues to fall well short of the nationwide ceasefire envisioned in resolution 2254 (2015). Shelling, air strikes and improvised explosive device attacks continue to kill and injure civilians.”
2020-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1257 (2020) · source
“I heard their strong concerns about what many feel is a lack of tangible political progress, including within the Constitutional Committee. They described the suffering in many parts of Syria, the economic meltdown and the impact of sanctions and growing criminality. They demanded progress on the detainee file and protection guarantees for refugees and their land and properties, and they called for greater civic space and protection for civil society. We will continue that dialogue. I will meet with them again tomorrow and continue to convey the voices and messages of civil society to the parties. Those messages remind us that a credible constitutional process is important.”
2020-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1257 (2020) · source
“I continue to be impressed by their commitment to supporting the political process and arriving at inclusive proposals and solutions in the interest of all Syrians, both men and women. I am encouraged by their recent engagement with women’s groups in different areas of Syria and the region to test some of their ideas on the constitution and to listen to the priorities and concerns of Syrian women. This past month, I also continued to engage civil society through the Civil Society Support Room. Just yesterday, I resumed consultations with a diverse group of people who are experts in their respective fields. I did so using dedicated online virtual tools, allowing us to connect with a wide range of Syrian civil society actors from different parts of Syria and the diaspora.”
2020-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1257 (2020) · source
“I would like to see the co-Chairs find a consensus on working methods that can promote the good functioning of the Committee and organize and structure its work, enabling it to consider specific constitutional items and draft provisions. In addition to a clear method for the fifth session, I believe that we also would need a workplan beyond that so that the Committee works expeditiously and continuously to produce results and continued progress, without foreign interference or externally imposed timelines. I will continue to involve and consult Syrian women, and I met virtually with the Women’s Advisory Board twice during the session of the Constitutional Committee.”
2020-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1257 (2020) · source
“Without any preconditions and as agreed, in line with the mandate, terms of reference and core rules of procedure, the agenda will focus on constitutional principles or basic principles of the Constitution. I will engage both co-Chairs before the next session on how to ensure that the Committee moves, as its mandate states, from “preparing” a constitutional reform to “drafting” one. As the co-Chairs affirmed during the session, the Committee is mandated and empowered to do that by the agreement of the Syrian Government and the Syrian Negotiations Commission. The Constitutional Committee, however, does need to improve its working methods.”
2020-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1257 (2020) · source
“I was not surprised by that, but it is positive that some positions were put forward concretely, and I was somewhat encouraged that members listened to each other’s narratives with attentiveness and even respect, with fewer interruptions and points of order S/2020/1257 than before and some genuine attempts to engage with each other’s positions. My team and I listened carefully to all that was said and, in our opinion, it is possible to see potential common ground in the discussions — a potential that can be explored. Consistent with the package agreed between the co-Chairs, they and the Committee members agreed that the fifth session of the small body will convene in Geneva from 25 to 29 January 2021, COVID-19 conditions permitting.”
2020-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1257 (2020) · source
“Some civil society members of the middle third presented points on conditions for safe, voluntary and dignified refugee returns and related issues, such as the restitution of housing, land and property; restorative justice; and relevant independent and impartial constitutional mechanisms. Meanwhile, other members made interventions on a range of themes, such as the need to address terrorism, sanctions, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The impact of conflict on the lives of Syrian women and the importance of their role in political life and of ensuring equality between men and women were raised on many occasions during the session by members of all three delegations. There were many stark differences among the positions and narratives presented within the Committee, and there were a few tense moments.”
2020-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1257 (2020) · source
“The delegation nominated by the Syrian Negotiations Commission presented 23 points on a range of principles, including Syria’s sovereignty; territorial integrity; international relations and commitment to international law; national identity; cultural diversity; democracy; political pluralism; the rule of law; the separation of powers; corruption; terrorism; citizenship; refugee returns; rights and freedoms; and social and economic principles. Those 23 points were framed by the delegation as grounded in the 12 Living Intra-Syrian Essential Principles, which were affirmed in Sochi and in the Committee’s mandate, and were presented by the delegation as points for development to form part of the basic principles within a new constitution.”
2020-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1257 (2020) · source
“They discussed a wide range of topics and, towards the end of the week, the Government and opposition nominee positions were also reflected in overview presentations in writing. The delegation nominated by the Syrian Government presented eight principles related to combating terrorism and condemning terrorist ideologies and support for terrorists; condemning unilateral coercive measures and the occupation of Syrian territory; rejecting separatism and separatist projects; supporting the Syrian Arab Army; promoting national identity; protecting cultural diversity; encouraging and guaranteeing refugee returns; and addressing humanitarian issues. They were presented as national foundations and principles and, as the delegation emphasized, were not explicitly linked to a future constitutional text.”
2020-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1257 (2020) · source
“Let me brief the Security Council today on the Constitutional Committee, the situation on the ground and the search for a wider process towards a political solution that implements resolution 2254 (2015). As Council members know, the fourth session of the small body of the Syrian Constitutional Committee convened in Geneva from 30 November to 4 December. Given the major challenges related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Switzerland, it took the dedication of Swiss authorities, United Nations staff and the Committee members themselves to hold the session safely, and I thank all for playing their part. During the session, Committee members continued their dialogue on the agenda, which was in line with the mandate, terms of reference and core rules of procedure and focused on national foundations and principles.”
2020-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1257 (2020) · source
“We discussed the need to take stock of where we are in the implementation of resolution 2254 (2015) and explore whether new and different approaches can be taken. I have also discussed this with opposition Syrian National Council President Al-Abdah today. I will seek to deepen my dialogue with the Syrian parties and key players in the months ahead in reviewing where we stand on resolution 2254 (2015), seeking to identify how best to develop a wider process.”
2020-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1049 (2020) · source
“In short, a wider and more credible and effective process is plainly needed. Relative progress in establishing the building blocks of a ceasefire came about because of the concerted efforts of some key international stakeholders, demonstrating that reaching compromises is indeed possible. We need a process that extends this cooperation and is inclusive of all issues and all players, a process that can address the range of elements contained in resolution 2254 (2015). This needs to be underpinned by mutual and reciprocal measures, pursued and supported meaningfully by all. I had substantial and wide-ranging discussions on all of these issues when I met with Syrian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Walid Al-Moualem in Damascus.”
2020-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1049 (2020) · source
“A recent spate of agricultural fires and fuel price hikes have only added to the many factors causing suffering and to unprecedented food insecurity. The backdrop of the coronavirus disease pandemic and the imminent winter will no doubt augment these challenges. At a time of severe economic stress, it remains important to continue to avoid and mitigate effects on ordinary Syrians of targeted sanctions measures. And let us recall — as resolution 2254 (2015) does and as the agreement to launch the Constitutional Committee explicitly affirmed — that the culmination of a political process would be free and fair elections, pursuant to a new constitution, administered under United Nations supervision, to the highest international standards, with all Syrians, including in the diaspora, eligible to participate.”
2020-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1049 (2020) · source
“A serious and cooperative effort is needed involving all key players to create the conditions that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has indicated are important for safe, dignified, informed and voluntary return — and indeed, an effort to create a safer, calmer, more neutral environment in Syria. And, frankly, now is precisely the time when one of my key priorities — addressing the fate of tens of thousands of detained, abducted or missing Syrians — should be energetically acted upon. Under-Secretary-General Lowcock will brief the Council on the dire humanitarian situation. But let me also note that ordinary Syrians are paying a bitter and unprecedented price given the economic devastation resulting from a decade-long conflict and its repercussions, internal and external.”
2020-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1049 (2020) · source
“Security Council-listed terrorist groups remain a significant danger across Syria and have stepped up their attacks of late, in particular in the central desert region where fighting between the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and Syrian Government forces resulted in multiple casualties on both sides. This month saw the mufti of Damascus killed by an explosive device on 22 October, in an attack that remains unclaimed. Yet despite all these incidents, the front lines are not changing, and it ought to be possible to work towards a nationwide ceasefire while ensuring that the significant continuing dangers posed by proscribed terrorist groups are addressed cooperatively and effectively and in line with international humanitarian law. Syrians remained displaced in the millions.”
2020-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1049 (2020) · source
“Incidents in northern rural Aleppo continue, including a truck bomb in Al-Bab that reportedly killed more than a dozen civilians and injured more than 60 civilians, as well as an attack on a fuel market in Jarabulus that some media attributed to a missile attack, causing civilian casualties. We have also seen recurring kidnappings and assassinations in the south-west, targeting a broad spectrum of political, military and civic actors and underscoring the ongoing fragility of the reconciliation agreements brokered over two years ago. Tensions have continued among the five foreign militaries active in Syria, which have regularly resulted in confrontations, including further air strikes attributed to Israel this month.”
2020-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1049 (2020) · source
“Monday saw a targeted air strike on a training camp of Faylaq Al-Sham in the north-west — an armed opposition group represented in the Syrian National Congress, the Constitutional Committee and the Astana meetings, which is reported to have suffered a very large number of casualties. Today, armed opposition groups and listed terrorist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham have retaliated with shelling and rocket fire into Syrian Government-controlled areas, claiming to have inflicted casualties. These dynamics can unravel the precious calm achieved through positive Russian-Turkish cooperation — cooperation which already faces challenges, given that joint patrols have remain stalled for over a month. I appeal to both Russia and Turkey to work to contain the situation.”
2020-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1049 (2020) · source
“Some key stakeholders have signalled that they see the military phase of the conflict as ending, renewing attention and focus on the political process. Front lines have not shifted in around eight months. And the number of civilians killed in recent months has, according to monitoring groups, been at the lowest levels since 2011. A political deal to implement 2254 (2015) is indeed the way to restore Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and meet the legitimate aspirations of all Syrians. Without that, dangers will only accrue — and the last month reminds us of this.”
2020-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1049 (2020) · source
“However, in my discussions in recent days in Damascus there was some valuable narrowing of the differences, with a variant explored that, if properly clarified, could provide a way out and enable consensus between the co-Chairs on the agenda for the next two meetings. I have been in communication with both co-Chair Kuzbari and co-Chair Al-Bahra today as finer points are clarified. We have no agreement yet and of course nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. But if we are able to find an agreement within the next two days, it should be possible to meet in Geneva sometime during the month of November. Beyond the Constitutional Committee, there are positive elements on which we could build a wider process.”
2020-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1049 (2020) · source
“The co-Chair nominated by the Syrian Government took the position that the third session agenda — focusing on national foundations and principles — should remain the agenda for a fourth session. The co-Chair nominated by the opposition Syrian National Council took the position that the agenda for the fourth session should focus on the preamble, constitutional principles, rights and freedoms, the rule of law or the structure of the constitution. As facilitator, I proposed over a month ago a bridging compromise, which the co-Chair nominated by the Syrian National Council accepted, but the co-Chair nominated by the Government did not.”
2020-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1049 (2020) · source
“In particular, the co-Chairs should in consensus proceed with agendas and work plans in a way that enable all issues to be considered, without making consideration of issues dependent on agreement on other issues and without preconditions. And the Committee should work expeditiously and continuously to produce results and continued progress without foreign interference, including externally imposed timelines, and focus exclusively on its mandate to prepare and draft for popular approval a constitutional reform. As Council members know, we were not able to convene a fourth session of the small body in October as we had hoped and there was no agreed agenda for it.”
2020-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1049 (2020) · source
“But progress in the Constitutional Committee could be a door-opener to a deeper and wider process, if two things happen: first, if the Committee works continuously and credibly in accordance with its mandate; and secondly, if that work is accompanied by other steps by the Syrian parties and international players to build trust and confidence, step by step, and gradually develop a wider political process to implement resolution 2254 (2015). It is particularly important for the Constitutional Committee to proceed in accordance with the agreement that established it, which was circulated, let me recall, by the Secretary-General to the Security Council as document S/2019/775 and which guides the Committee.”
2020-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1049 (2020) · source
“I have heard from the Women’s Advisory Board and other women leaders that what is needed above all is a credible and inclusive political process that ends the conflict and the deep suffering of the Syrian people and that brings about sustainable peace with the meaningful participation of Syrian women, and that has women’s safety, basic needs, dignity, rights and equality at its core. I will continue to do everything I can to help facilitate this. I have said from the outset of my mandate, nearly two years ago, that the conflict cannot be resolved solely by constitutional reform or a new constitution.”
2020-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1049 (2020) · source
“Today, I am briefing the Security Council from Beirut. As we mark this month 20 years since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), let me recall the central role that Syrian women must play, and are indeed playing, in the political process mandated by resolution 2254 (2015) as members of the Constitutional Committee, as advisers to me and my Office, as members of technical bodies and within wider civil society. Syrian women’s rights leaders have said to me that further efforts for the full, direct and meaningful participation of Syrian women are essential, and reminded me that the process and its outcomes must serve the interests, priorities and aspirations of Syrian women in their diversity of needs and experiences.”
2020-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1049 (2020) · source
“Meanwhile, we must continue to work to bring about positive and mutually reinforcing steps among Syrian and international players and a wider political process, in line with resolution 2254 (2015). With relative calm on the ground and with the urgent need to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people, now is the time to press ahead.”
2020-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/936 (2020) · source
“I particularly welcomed the opportunity to visit Moscow recently for substantive and wide-ranging discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and Defence Minister Shoygu, in advance of the Foreign Minister’s high-level visit to Syria last week. I encourage Russia and the United States to pursue further dialogue and for them and other key players — including the Astana guarantors, those who meet in the Small Group and the members of the Council — to work with me to advance our common goal in Syria: a political settlement in line with resolution 2254 (2015). The immediate priority is for the co-Chairs to agree on an agenda so that we can resume the Constitutional Committee soon, and for the Committee to proceed in accordance with its terms of reference.”
2020-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/936 (2020) · source
“In that regard, I have received strong support from key players for United Nations efforts to facilitate the Constitutional Committee through a Syrian-led and -owned process that can act as a door opener. Beyond the Constitutional Committee, it is too early to say whether the increasingly shared assessment of the realities will turn into common diplomatic S/2020/936 pathways for the implementation of resolution 2254 (2015). That potential may be slow to materialize, but I will continue to nurture and support the process. I welcomed the recent presence, in Geneva, of senior representatives of Russia, the United States, Turkey and Iran for consultations on the margins of the Constitutional Committee. I have since remained in close contact with them and other European and Arab interlocutors.”
2020-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/936 (2020) · source
“It is clear that no one actor or group of actors — Syrian or international — can determine the outcome of this conflict. In that regard, I believe there is growing acknowledgement among many key actors that there truly is no military solution and that the only way forward is a negotiation and a political settlement, however difficult that may be. That is why I believe there is a common desire from all sides to move beyond a complete stalemate and see some movement. There is a readiness for steps to beget steps, for goodwill to beget goodwill and for us to move slowly but steadily along a path out of this conflict, supported by mutual and reciprocal measures and based on resolution 2254 (2015).”
2020-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/936 (2020) · source
“In accordance with the resolution, we must counter the threat of internationally proscribed terrorist groups active in some parts of Syria through a cooperative approach that is in line with international humanitarian law. As we seek to consolidate calm, we have both an opportunity and a responsibility to build a more meaningful political process. The realities on the ground remind us that only by focusing on a political settlement can we meet the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people and restore Syria’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity. A political process is also vital if we are to address Syria’s socioeconomic challenges and ensure the necessary conditions to enable millions of refugees to return to Syria in a voluntary, safe and dignified manner.”
2020-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/936 (2020) · source
“We have also seen at least one attack on Turkish soldiers in Idlib, resulting in casualties. There have been improvised explosive device attacks and mutual fire in and around Afrin, Ras Al-Ayn and Tall Abyad, resulting in civilian injuries and deaths. Finally, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is engaged in worrisome activity in the desert, and we saw an attack on a pipeline in areas where ISIL is active, which resulted in a nationwide electricity cut in late August. I appeal to all relevant actors to contain violent and destabilizing incidents like these, build on the current relative calm and, pursuant to resolution 2254 (2015), establish a nationwide ceasefire to protect civilians, maintain international peace and security and support the political process.”
2020-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/936 (2020) · source
“We have seen further rounds of air strikes on military positions in Syria, attributed to Israel by the Syrian Government. Moreover, due to local unrest and geopolitical tensions, the south-west remains a theatre for regular security incidents. The March agreement between Russia and Turkey continues to sustain broad calm in the north-west, but we have also seen escalations on both sides, including rocket fire, artillery fire and air strikes hitting near the front lines, as well as deep into Idlib, killing and wounding civilians in some instances, in addition to increased military reinforcements on both sides of the line. In addition, there was another attack on a Russian-Turkish joint patrol, claimed by the Khattab Al-Shishani Brigades, wounding two Russian soldiers.”
2020-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/936 (2020) · source
“Syria remains a highly internationalized environment, with five foreign armies active in the theatre and Syria’s sovereignty compromised. Militarily, however, current arrangements continue to sustain broad calm across Syria, compared to the intense violence of recent years. Indeed, the front lines have barely shifted in the past six months — the longest such period in the Syrian conflict — and a basic military status quo seems to be emerging.However, while Syria is calmer now, there continue to be worrisome incidents that could destabilize that calm. For example, a vehicle altercation between Russian and United States forces left four American soldiers injured and led to mutual accusations of breaches of existing deconfliction arrangements.”
2020-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/936 (2020) · source
“It remains imperative to waive any sanctions or measures that can undermine the capacity of the country to ensure access to food, essential health supplies and COVID-19 medical support. I continue to appeal for the large-scale and unilateral release of detainees and abductees, especially women, children, the elderly and the sick, and for more meaningful actions on missing persons. I pressed that issue with the Astana guarantors when we met in Geneva. I note their stated intention to resume the meetings of the working group on this issue at the earliest opportunity, but I also note the deep dismay that lack of movement on this issue causes among Syrians of all backgrounds, and internationally as well. I will continue to press the issue with the Syrian parties, including in all forthcoming engagements.”
2020-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/936 (2020) · source