YouSaid · the spoken record

Mr.De Mistura

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19
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2018-06-27
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2018-06-27
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un-security-council

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  1. “Therefore, we urge the Council and all interested parties to help find an arrangement or a solution in the south-west that will spare civilian suffering and large movements of displaced people and reduce the potential tension so that we do not see once again seven years afterwards, perhaps when we are getting closer to the end of the conflict, a repetition of what we saw sadly in Aleppo and eastern Ghouta.”

    2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source

  2. “I ask for the support of all present, including of the Syrian Government, whose representatives are sitting in the Chamber, in facilitating this effort. Ultimately, this effort must be Syrian led and Syrian owned, because no country or organization can simply impose a fait accompli on the Syrian people. We know that, but we need to move forward. My second message is that currently we are gravely concerned by the battlefield developments and their potential to expand into regional tensions.”

    2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source

  3. “I have shuttled around all relevant capitals recently, so I can say with some authority and confidence that there is some common ground to build upon that could provide a solid basis for some concrete understandings. Many countries are not that far apart on issues that are, frankly, easy to resolve or address, such as national sovereignty, unity and many others, and we have been working on it. Let me reiterate once again that the United Nations stands ready to use its own good offices, competence and experience - and we have a whole team working on this - in the bridging of commonalities to contribute to facilitating international dialogue in the quest for such commonalities. In conclusion, we are moving cautiously in the right direction on the political front.”

    2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source

  4. “Serious, robust and sustainable dialogue is vital to underpin de-escalation, which is very much needed now, and the political process in general. I discussed this issue with President Al Sisi in Cairo when I was there, and he gave me some constructive ideas in this regard. I believe that we are already seeing an emerging web of high-level international discussions on Syria: frequent contacts between the United States and the Russian Federation, for instance, at many different levels; communications at a very high level between President Putin and President Macron and President Putin and Chancellor Merkel; and intensified talks between the United States and Turkey over various issues. All that we can build on.”

    2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source

  5. “Today's meeting is already the third meeting of the Working Group, which deals with a key humanitarian issue that affects thousands and thousands of Syrian people. What is necessary now and what we and the Syrian people expect are some concrete steps and results to alleviate the suffering of those affected by this tragic situation. Members of my team who are present in Ankara today will continue proactively to support the Working Group, which was established in Astana. I hope that all actors involved will demonstrate the political will required to produce some results in this field. In the meantime, we continue to seek ways to bridge different groups of international stakeholders through high-level diplomacy. That is my bottom line, and we have seen that taking place.”

    2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source

  6. “That is why we are concerned when we see unilateral legislative acts such as Law Number 10, which we understand many refugees were very worried about, and frankly I even heard a great deal about this from neighbouring countries such as Lebanon. We also urge concrete action on the issue of detainees. Today, even as we speak, a technical team from my office is in Ankara for a meeting of the Working Group on the release of detainees/abductees and handover of the bodies as well as the identification of missing persons, of which the United Nations is a member, together with Iran, the Russian Federation and Turkey. As the Council is aware, so far the outcome has been zero. However, we are not giving up.”

    2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source

  7. “I am also aware that this process will require the consent and engagement of the Syrian Government and parties, with full respect for their concerns and sensitivities - the Government, the opposition and civil society. For my part, I will continue to facilitate further movement in this direction to seek the support, counsel and advice of many, which is why I anticipate inviting the Sochi co-conveners back to Geneva in the coming weeks, as well as the six countries I saw Monday and others and then report back to the Security Council. Let me also flag that if we are to move forward with a constitutional process towards what everyone in Syria tells us they want, a safe, calm and neutral environment, it will be important to start to see steps that could restore trust and confidence in social peace.”

    2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source

  8. “I will be proceeding also to facilitate the process of bridging independence experts, tribal leaders, civil society and women, as indicated in the Sochi declaration, and, frankly, in many of our common deliberations. I should add that both meetings in Geneva underscored one important point that I, too, will underscore: the support of key countries for the role of the United Nations in facilitating the political process in Geneva, including the constitutional committee. Overall, these consultations represent a cautious step forward, and I have to be cautious, having seen how sometimes we took one step forward and two back. But let me be clear: this is a package, and that is something that we have discussed with everyone: nothing is agreed until everything has been agreed. That is why it is a work in progress.”

    2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source

  9. “Just yesterday, for instance, more than 200 Syrian women from diverse backgrounds met in Beirut for a conference organized by UN-Women. Despite their differences, they agreed on many points, including on women's equal participation in decision-making, including in any constitutional committee. I also take note of the recent letter of support for women's full and effective participation, with at least 30 per cent representation, in the constitutional committee, which was sent to us by the representatives of members of the Security Council Peru, Sweden and the United Kingdom. We now await an opposition list of names, which we hope will be forthcoming shortly. I know that serious work on this issue is being conducted even as we speak.”

    2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source

  10. “Based on my consultations with many stakeholders, I intend to maintain my prerogative to contribute to adjusting the committee so as to ensure, first, its credibility and secondly, international legitimacy. In terms of women, let me underscore my own expectation that any constitutional committee must include a minimum of 30 per cent women. In this connection, I noted with pleasure that 26 per cent of those on the Government list of 50 names provided to us were women, which is not enough, because we are aiming for 30 per cent, but it is a very good signal. I will certainly not be impressed by the argument that others may raise that there are not enough Syrian women who are competent on constitutional issues.”

    2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source

  11. “We discussed the de-escalation arrangements in depth, a key element, obviously, that underpins progress on the political front. Views were exchanged on the importance of diplomatic bridging between different groups on Syria and prospects for progress on the constitutional track. There was a clear expectation on the part of those countries - and let me be frank: they have an interest and a stake in the process and also are the ones who could be important players in any potential reconstruction - that any constitutional committee must be credible and internationally legitimate, it must contain a diverse and representative spectrum of Syrians, including those mentioned in the Sochi final statement, such as independence, civil society, experts and women.”

    2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source

  12. “The aim was to seek some preliminary understandings. Participants exchanged opinions on these matters in a very interactive and constructive way. Some common ground actually emerged - preliminary, but it emerged. Overall, a spirit of productive negotiation and potential compromise emerged because all three countries recognized the need for a constitutional committee that is credible in the eyes of the international community. On 22 June I met with an official from the European Union, who provided sound advice, and I will meet shortly with High Representative Mogherini on these issues tomorrow. On 25 June I hosted joint consultations in Geneva with, in alphabetical order, France, Germany, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the United States.”

    2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source

  13. “I was in contact with the Russian Federation at several levels, the United States and European countries. On the basis of these useful discussions, I determined that it was now time to take advantage of this initiative of the Syrian Government, step up consultations and go deeper. On 19 June, therefore, I held formal joint consultations at a very senior level in Geneva with the Russian Federation, the Republic of Turkey and the Islamic Republic of Iran. We discussed the best way to implement the Sochi final statement to establish a Syrian-led, Syrian-owned constitutional committee under the auspices of the United Nations in Geneva. I must say it was a constructive meeting. Much of the discussion concerned the composition of the committee as well as such issues as decision-making and how to avoid deadlocks.”

    2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source

  14. “Four and a half months after the Sochi declaration, on 28 May the Syrian Government provided a catalyst when it conveyed to my office in Damascus 50 names for its Government list. I expressed appreciation to the Syrian Government for this important step. I have also expressed my appreciation to the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran, with which I know the Syrian Government has discussed this list and whose encouragement has helped to produce this movement. After receiving the list, I decided to consult key regional partners in Istanbul, Tehran, Cairo and elsewhere, and I saw senior officials of the countries where those capitals are located, including President Al Sisi of Egypt, as well as officials of the Arab League and opposition leaders.”

    2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source

  15. “I hope we will have an opportunity in private consultations to discuss this issue because we are indeed concerned. With regard to the constitutional committee, we are beginning to see some movement towards a political process. That is why we are so concerned that military escalation could have the potential to compromise the progress that we are seeing on the political front. During the last month, we have intensified our efforts to find a way ahead for the implementation of the Sochi final statement for the establishment of a Syrian-led, Syrian- owned, United Nations-facilitated constitutional committee within the framework of the Geneva process and in accordance with resolution 2254 (2015).”

    2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source

  16. “Our position on Aleppo, on Ghouta and on other places in Syria has always been to put the sanctity of human - civilian - life above all else. We have seen months of intensified back-and- forth regional dialogue on the south-west, and we looked at it with interest because we saw and believed that there was some progress. I therefore urge all parties - the Syrian Government, the armed groups and all interested parties - to draw on the lessons that we all learned from eastern Ghouta, from Ghouta, from Aleppo and elsewhere, and use the channels that already exist - and we know they exist and we know where they are - and work on arrangements that could prevent further human suffering, protect civilians and provide an exit from the potential for a further tragedy in this cruel seven-year-old conflict.”

    2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source

  17. “My colleague John Ging, whom I see is in the Chamber today, will brief the Council on these issues in greater depth in due course. We must also think of the regional implications. As Secretary-General Antonio Guterres himself has said, escalation in the south-west poses significant risks to regional security and stability, which is a point I myself have constantly underscored. In fact, regional tensions continue. Just to give Council members one example, on Monday of this week air strikes on Damascus airport were reported, which Syrian State media attributed to Israel. We are not in a position to independently confirm this, nor has Israel made any statement on the matter, but we are concerned that a full-scale battle in the south-west could only add fuel to this type of tensions.”

    2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source

  18. “I want to believe that the Security Council will not allow this to become another eastern Ghouta or another eastern Aleppo or Aleppo in general, where so many civilians were sacrificed and died. Yet I see things moving in this direction. Let us be aware of what it would mean if the south- west were to see a full-scale battle to the end. It could be like Aleppo and eastern Ghouta combined in terms of the population in the areas that might be affected. Some 45,000 - almost 50,000, I hear - have already been displaced owing to fighting, mostly from eastern Dar'a governorate to areas near the Jordanian border. This year alone, more than 900,000 people in Syria have been displaced nationwide. It is unimaginable what the situation would be if we added to that number all those who are presently in the eastern Dar'a governorate.”

    2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source

  19. “Mr.DeMistura: Ithankyou, Sir, forthis opportunity to address the members of the Security Council. When I last addressed the Council on 16 May (see S/PV.8260), I spoke of three bottom-line priorities: de-escalation, reviving the political process, and bridging the gaps between different groups of international stakeholders through high-level diplomacy because it is now time for high-level diplomacy. I would now like to report on where we stand on each of these elements. First, with regard to de-escalation, I regret to say that I have very little to report, or rather, very little positive to report. In fact, I am gravely concerned at the turn of events, particularly in the south-west of Syria. In that area, now, while we are talking, we are seeing a full-scale ground offensive in aerial bombardment and exchanges of fire from both sides.”

    2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source