YouSaid · the spoken record

Pedersen

lines on the record: 597
first: 2012-10-15
most recent: 2023-12-21
sittings or episodes: 54
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

“They have welcomed the fact that I share ideas on ways to expedite the work and produce results and continued progress, and I have done so. I am looking forward to them reverting to me with their reactions or any other ideas. As my regular briefings to the Council suggest, a daunting set of challenges faces the Syrian people. I was reminded of that when I was briefed on the results of my team’s regional outreach with Syrian civil society. Syrians briefed my team extensively on political developments, the socioeconomic situation, humanitarian and protection issues, women’s rights, the inclusion of youth in the political process, local governance and social cohesion initiatives. What united all of those voices was the need to see urgent action to implement a comprehensive political solution in line with resolution 2254 (2015).”
2022-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9083 (2022) · source
“I last briefed the Council during the eighth session of its small drafting body, which concluded on 3 June. The co-Chairs agreed that the ninth session would convene in Geneva on 25 July. Formal invitations have been sent accordingly, and we are taking logistical steps to move ahead with the session. I told Committee members at the conclusion of the eighth session that I appreciated the tone and substantive nature of the dialogue in the room. But I was also honest with them that I saw real challenges relating to the pace of work and to the inability of the members to identify and conclude areas of initial provisional agreement, even on points where there was potential consensus in the room. I met with the co-Chairs together at the end of the session to discuss what could be done to address those challenges.”
2022-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9083 (2022) · source
“We continue to stress the potential of the decree and the importance of its comprehensive implementation if that potential is to be realized. This opportunity should not be missed. We hope that there will be further action by and communication with the Syrian Government on this issue and on the other topics for confidence-building measures. In parallel, there are a number of topics in which others, including outside players, could take positive steps, too, regarding Syria and advancing resolution 2254 (2015). I am continuing to engage key players on what such steps could look like and have appreciated their readiness to engage. We continue to convene the Syrian-led, Syrian- owned Constitutional Committee, which, if approached the right way, could contribute to a political settlement to implement resolution 2254 (2015).”
2022-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9083 (2022) · source
“We need to do more than the one-to-one simultaneous release operations that have resulted from the Astana working group and which saw another 10 detainees — five on each side — released just before the Astana meeting held on 15 and 16 June. Bearing that in mind, I briefed the Council in closed consultations last month on my engagement with Foreign Minister Mekdad on the presidential decree of 30 April and its implementation. My Office in Damascus has since followed up on that engagement. I have also engaged with human rights organizations, victims and family associations and civil-society contacts who have also shared their assessments, including estimates of many hundreds so far released but no recent reports of further releases.”
2022-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9083 (2022) · source
“I have continued bilateral engagements with the Syrian parties and international stakeholders on various entry points in that regard, sharing and receiving some ideas. As I informed the Council in closed consultations last month, when I was in Damascus in May I identified to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Syria, Mr. Mekdad, a number of topics on which I thought we could have deeper discussion on actions that the Syrian authorities could take — topics that he undertook to consider. As the Council is aware, I have long called on the parties to take unilateral action on a meaningful scale on the tragic issues of the detained, the abducted and the missing, including in the framework of confidence-building and moving step for step. That issue, immense in scale, is a continuing and central feature of the trauma of the Syrian people.”
2022-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9083 (2022) · source
“A recent survey by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees of Syrian refugees’ perceptions and intentions found that 92.8 per cent of refugees living in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq do not intend to return to Syria within the next 12 months. Given the causes cited by refugees themselves, a wide range of actions would be required to create such conditions, addressing the many obstacles to returns in terms of the security situation, livelihoods, basic services, housing, military service and protection. In the light of realities such as those, I have long been proposing that we work, step for step, on a series of confidence-building measures to deal with many of the most immediate concerns of the Syrian people and advance towards a safe, calm and neutral environment and the implementation of resolution 2254 (2015).”
2022-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9083 (2022) · source
“Let us also not forget the acute economic crisis in Syria resulting from more than a decade of war and conflict, corruption, mismanagement, the Lebanese financial crisis, the coronavirus disease, sanctions and, now, the war in Ukraine. Earlier this month, the World Bank reported that Syrian economic activity had halved in size between 2010 and 2019, and we know for sure that the situation has not improved since then. The Bank warned that that economic crisis may lead to increased social unrest in Syria. Let us also not forget that creating conditions for safe, voluntary and dignified refugee returns is a core element of resolution 2254 (2015).”
2022-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9083 (2022) · source
“Let me also remind the Council of the firm position of the United Nations on respect for Syria’s sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity and independence. Let me note also that there is a risk that a miscalculated move in any of those flashpoints could lead to a broader conflict in a volatile situation. As we have seen time and again, conflict can escalate fast in Syria. If it does, mass civilian displacement and suffering are sure to follow, with the potential for wider regional instability. That is why we are concerned by the violence across all of Syria’s fault lines and any intention to carry out new operations. That is why we reiterate our call for a nationwide ceasefire, a cooperative approach to countering listed terrorist groups and a focus on supporting the political process.”
2022-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9083 (2022) · source
“Killings and violence attributed to ISIL continue in Al-Hol camp, where conditions remain dire, underlining the need for progress on repatriations. The south-west has seen multiple security incidents. This month also saw reports of Russian air strikes near Al-Tanf on an armed opposition group partnered with the United States. Meanwhile, strikes attributed to Israel appear to be increasing in scale and scope. Let me echo the Secretary-General’s concern, as expressed by his spokesperson, about the reported strikes on Damascus international airport on 10 June. Let me remind the Council of the firm position of the United Nations that directing attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure is strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law.”
2022-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9083 (2022) · source
“Afrin and the north-east are seeing a significant escalation in hostilities, with clashes and drone strikes, exchanges of fire and recent statements by Türkiye about a new military operation. As the Secretary-General’s spokesperson stressed, Syria does not need more military operations but, rather, a political solution and more humanitarian assistance. The north-west has seen exchanges of rocket fire and reports of pro-Government air strikes pick up again, along with a United States strike on Al-Qaida affiliate Hurras Al-Din and infighting among armed opposition groups in Afrin and northern Aleppo. The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and other listed terrorist groups continue to launch attacks and claimed responsibility for killing Syrian army soldiers this month.”
2022-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9083 (2022) · source
“And, at a time of global turmoil, the Council’s unity on humanitarian issues in Syria would also signal that the main stakeholders in this conflict can firewall key aspects of the Syria issue from their differences elsewhere in the world and cooperate. It would be a kernel of the constructive diplomacy on Syria that I have long called for, and it would be absolutely essential, if we are to move along the path of implementing my mandate as set forth in resolution 2254 (2015). Indeed, a political settlement of the conflict is the only sustainable way to end the suffering of the Syrian people. To focus on a political way forward, it is vital that tensions and the dangers of military escalation are contained. In a number of flashpoints, we are seeing ongoing and even increasing violence.”
2022-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9083 (2022) · source
“Mr. Pedersen: Last week, the Secretary-General and Under-Secretary-General Griffiths briefed the Security Council on the very grave humanitarian situation in Syria (see S/PV.9068). As they underlined, the three prongs of the framework of resolution 2585 (2021) — crossline, cross-border, and early recovery — have been absolutely essential to bringing life-saving and life-sustaining humanitarian assistance to all parts of Syria during the past extremely difficult year for the Syrian people. With humanitarian needs growing and civilians in desperate need, it is essential for the Council to renew this framework for an additional 12 months. As the Secretary-General has stated, that is a moral imperative.”
2022-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9083 (2022) · source
“We must remain focused on achieving a comprehensive political resolution to the conflict, in line with resolution 2254 (2015), while respecting the sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity of Syria and enabling the Syrian people to realize their legitimate aspirations.”
2022-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9022 (2022) · source
“However, there are plainly also other steps that can be taken to address the various measures and dynamics, internal or external, that contribute to the crisis. I believe that in areas such as those and potentially others, too, it should be possible to identify concrete, reciprocal, verifiable measures that could be taken in parallel and that could begin to shift conflict dynamics. In so doing, we would create a safe, calm and neutral environment and, in the process, explore how a broader political process could be constructed to tackle all issues addressed in resolution 2254 (2015).”
2022-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9022 (2022) · source
“Syrians across the country still face a devastating economic crisis after more than a decade of war and conflict, corruption, mismanagement, the Lebanese financial crisis, the coronavirus disease, sanctions and now the war in Ukraine and its economic spillover. The World Food Programme notes that between 2019 and 2021, the price of basic food items increased by a staggering 800 per cent. Syrians have been forced to ration energy products or to choose whether to buy food, fuel or medicine. That economic predicament will only fuel the displacement crisis and the humanitarian crisis, with knock-on effects for stability in the region and beyond. We can always do more to alleviate the worst effects of this crisis with humanitarian assistance and, indeed, we should continue to do so.”
2022-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9022 (2022) · source
“While the displacement caused by the war in Ukraine is tragically catching up, Syria remains the largest displacement crisis in the world, with 6.8 million refugees and 6.9 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), half the pre-war population — a whole generation born and brought up in displacement. Yet, even as conditions worsen in many places of displacement, we see little sign of returns. Indeed, some data show that the rate of return continues to decrease. We need to start to address the fears and concerns that Syrian refugees and IDPs express, and which prevent them from returning. That will require concrete steps from a range of Syrian and international stakeholders in various areas, including on issues inherent to resolution 2254 (2015).”
2022-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9022 (2022) · source
“As High Commissioner Bachelet told the General Assembly this month, the impact of that unresolved issue on women relatives and children is particularly severe. As we are often reminded, without progress on this file many Syrians will be unable even to begin to think of moving on, and sustainable peace will remain elusive. The lack of progress is frustrating because all sides say that they indeed agree that action is needed, and all sides stand to benefit from progress. We need modest but concrete steps on this file that can help build the necessary confidence for bigger steps. The displacement crisis that I already mentioned is another key layer of suffering.”
2022-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9022 (2022) · source
“I have spoken of the suffering of the Syrian people and, on the humanitarian front, I urge all concerned to expand cross-line and cross-border assistance to enhance efforts for early recovery to build resilience, in line with resolution 2585 (2021) and to be generous with the resources needed for humanitarian work. However, we have to go beyond stemming the tide of deepening suffering. Many of the things from which Syrians suffer from are actually inherently political in nature. They require difficult steps by political actors, involving negotiations and give and take. They ultimately require the comprehensive implementation of all aspects of resolution 2254 (2015). Tens of thousands of Syrians remain detained, abducted or missing, and their plight is a central element of suffering among Syrians.”
2022-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9022 (2022) · source
“I also appeal to both co-Chairs and their delegations, and the Middle Third, to submit any new titles to my Office as early as possible before the next session and to make a good-faith effort to identify titles and prepare texts for them for discussion during the session and revisions on the fifth day that focus on matters on which most Syrians could agree. That spirit would make meaningful the commitment stated in the terms of reference to which both the Government of Syria and the Syrian National Coalition opposition agreed, namely, that the Constitutional Committee’s work shall be governed by a sense of compromise and constructive engagement, aimed at reaching general agreement among its members. Only with that positive intent will the process move forward.”
2022-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9022 (2022) · source
“Some of those amendments indicated an attempt to reflect the content of the discussions and narrow differences. Still, others contained no changes. Deputy Special Envoy Khawla Matar has since been to Damascus and Istanbul for further discussions with the two Constitutional Committee co-Chairs. I have today issued invitations for the eighth session, to be held from 28 May to 3 June here in Geneva. In doing so, I have affirmed the methodology, including the expectation that revisions will be submitted on the fifth day, to reflect the content of the discussion, and I stress the importance of that expectation being fulfilled.”
2022-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9022 (2022) · source
“A constitutional track could contribute to such a solution, but to do so it must build trust and confidence. On 25 March, we concluded the seventh session of the Syrian Constitutional Committee. The session was under way when I briefed the Council last time (see S/PV.9003). By that stage, the Committee had spent four days discussing draft constitution texts, presented by delegations on four basic constitutional principles. The expectation was that on the fifth and final day, delegations would submit revisions to the texts they had submitted to reflect the content of those discussions, and those revisions would then be discussed by the Committee members. I can report that delegations offered, at least, some revisions to some of the texts presented.”
2022-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9022 (2022) · source
“Humanitarian suffering is at its highest level since the conflict began, and millions are displaced inside and outside of the country. We should be deeply concerned about what this scale of suffering will translate into in terms of the fabric of Syrian society and Syrian and regional stability if there is no political path out of the conflict. My message today is simple: the Security Council must focus on Syria. The current strategic stalemate on the ground and Syria’s absence from the headlines should not mislead anyone into thinking that the conflict needs less attention or fewer resources, or that the political solution is not urgent. Indeed, a conflict of this scale requires a comprehensive political solution in line with resolution 2254 (2015).”
2022-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9022 (2022) · source
“For instance, this month saw, once again, strikes in Syria attributed to Israel, drone strikes in the northeast attributed to Turkey, air strikes in Idlib and west of the Euphrates attributed to Russia and reports of rocket fire on United States troops in Deir-ez-Zor. I worry that any of those flashpoints could be further exacerbated by heightened geopolitical tensions outside of Syria. Terrorism is still a significant threat, with at least two listed terrorist groups carrying out operations or holding territory. It is worrying that attacks by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant are picking up once again, following a relative low in February. Syria is still among the greatest humanitarian crises of our era. We should be appalled at what this means for Syrian civilians, who continue to be killed by violence.”
2022-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9022 (2022) · source
“Mr. Pedersen: Syria is a hot conflict, not a frozen one. We have seen air strikes in the northwest pick up again and intensified clashes around Afrin and the northeast, and there are continuing exchanges of rocket fire and shelling across all front lines, improvised explosive devices, car bombs and other security incidents. The conflict also continues to give rise to threats to international peace and security of the first order. Notwithstanding their legal status, the sheer fact that five foreign armies operate in different sites of the Syrian conflict is concerning. Regular incidents between or involving international actors are troubling.”
2022-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9022 (2022) · source
“Many are involved in local peacebuilding projects to promote a society based on the common civic values of participation, plurality, equality, non-violence and respect for rights and freedoms. They expressed their distress at the economic situation, which nourishes the war economy, and called on donors not to forget Syria and to invest in early-recovery efforts. In concluding, I wish to emphasize once again that I continue to rely on all members of the Security Council to support my efforts, in accordance with my mandate, to bring about the implementation of resolution 2254 (2015), to restore the sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity of Syria, and to enable the Syrian people to realize their legitimate aspirations.”
2022-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9003 (2022) · source
“The Women’s Advisory Board met this past week and a half outside Geneva, and they continue to provide me with their perspective and ideas on the political process. Offering a gendered perspective, members of the Board underlined ways to ensure that the aspirations of all Syrians are considered as the political process continues. I welcome their willingness to engage on tough questions. Earlier this month, we also convened in Geneva the Thematic Working Groups of the Civil Society Support Room on the topics of civic space and values, as well as on the economy, recovery and development perspectives. Participants were keen to support our efforts to promote a functioning political process to implement resolution 2254 (2015).”
2022-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9003 (2022) · source
“I am pleased that the Council is hearing a briefing today from Assistant Secretary- General Hossam Zaki of the League of Arab States. Regional input and support for the United Nations-led effort to facilitate a political settlement will be critical, as will contributions from many other international stakeholders. That is why I continue to consult widely. This past month I held consultations in Geneva with the envoys of several States, travelled to Washington, D.C., to brief officials of a number of States who met there under United Nations auspices, and travelled to Antalya, Turkey, where I was able to meet the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Turkey and Russia, among other interlocutors. I also continue to consult widely with the Syrians as I pursue my mandate and to value the insights and inputs I receive.”
2022-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9003 (2022) · source
“I believe that in areas such as those, and potentially others, too, it should be possible to identify concrete, reciprocal, verifiable measures that could be taken in parallel and that could begin to shift conflict dynamics, and, in the process, to explore how a broader political process could be constructed to tackle all the issues mentioned in resolution 2254 (2015). I have already received some ideas, and I continue to develop others. There is now a need to deepen the discussion, and I will be carrying forward the consultations with that objective. The constructive international diplomacy needed to support that effort has not been made easier by recent heightened international tensions, but I will keep working on this. Let us also remember the impact of the Syrian conflict on the region.”
2022-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9003 (2022) · source
“There is also much more that could be done by the Syrian Government on the one hand and by outside actors on the other to address the very real concerns that Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons express — the very concerns that prevent most from returning: safety and security; lack of livelihoods and work opportunities; lack of adequate housing as well as concerns over housing, land and property rights; military service requirements; and inadequate basic services.”
2022-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9003 (2022) · source
“There have been no shifts in the front lines for two years now. Yet this past month, violence has continued between the various Syrian actors, two listed terrorist groups and involving five foreign armies, too. With front lines frozen, there is every reason to try to de-escalate militarily and build a true nationwide ceasefire. Likewise, with listed terrorist groups still a threat, the parties share an interest and a duty to cooperate among themselves. Syrians on all sides continue to be affected by the plight of the detained, the abducted and the missing. Any credible attempt to build trust and confidence must include serious steps forward on this issue — an issue that has been a priority of mine from day one and continues to be.”
2022-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9003 (2022) · source
“Turning to the situation on the ground, Martin Griffiths will brief the Council on the growing humanitarian needs and the continued effects on the Syrian people of the destruction of so much of the country and the collapse of Syria’s economy. I urge all concerned to take measures to reverse those negative trends, to expand cross-line and cross-border assistance, and to enhance efforts for early recovery to build resilience. Beyond the humanitarian sphere, there is much else that could be done to build trust and confidence, something that I continue to explore with all actors. After all, it is clear that no one actor or existing group of actors in Syria can determine the outcome of this conflict. A military solution is an illusion. That was always the case, but it is now plain for all to see.”
2022-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9003 (2022) · source
“There are significant differences, but it is possible to find and build on common points if the will exists to do so. Serious attempts should be made by all delegations in order to begin to narrow differences. That requires taking on board aspects of points made by other delegations and entertaining compromise formulations that could, in time, attract support within the Committee, in accordance with its decision-making procedures. A constitution-making effort that actually starts to explore compromises could help build trust and confidence in this process — something sorely lacking at present among the Syrians.”
2022-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9003 (2022) · source
“This week, the Committee members have discussed draft constitutional texts on four titles of constitutional principles. Let me mention them here — basics of governance, State identity, State symbols and regulation and functions of public authorities. Today they are discussing the last title. These are important subjects, and deliberations — as one might suspect — have not been easy. We are now at an important moment in the week’s deliberations. In accordance with the co-Chairs’ agreement that led to the convening of this session, the delegations are expected to submit revisions to reflect the content of the discussions, which are then to be discussed by the Committee members tomorrow. We will therefore see if the next 24 hours help to move us forward.”
2022-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9003 (2022) · source
“Mr. Pedersen: I brief the Security Council today from Geneva at the end of the fourth day of the seventh session of the Small Body of the Syrian Constitutional Committee. The Committee has been meeting since Monday and concludes this session with its fifth and final day of meetings tomorrow, on Friday. Before the Committee began to work this week, I recalled that Syria remains one of the gravest crises in the world and that there is a clear need for progress towards a political solution, in line with resolution 2254 (2015). Having this month passed the grim milestone of 11 years of conflict, and with the needs of the long- suffering Syrian people increasing, I appealed to the Committee’s members to work this week with a sense of seriousness and the spirit of compromise that the situation demands.”
2022-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9003 (2022) · source
“Through my most recent round of consultations, I had hoped that we might be starting to find a way into a functioning political process to implement resolution 2254 (2015). I am obviously very concerned that the constructive international diplomacy required to push that forward may prove more difficult than it already was against the backdrop of the military operations in Ukraine. For my part, I will continue to focus on engaging and convening the Syrian parties and consulting widely. We will convene a series of Constitutional Committee meetings in March, May and June, and we will continue to roll out a set of consultations on step-for-step approaches within the wider issues in resolution 2254 (2015) and on how we can make progress.”
2022-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8978 (2022) · source
“I am always encouraged and inspired to see them engage constructively on how to rebuild a Syrian society based on common civic values of independence, participation, plurality, transparency, dialogue and equality despite their own life stories and diverse narratives. I am convinced that the overwhelming majority of the Syrian people desperately want the conflict to end, to see some basic improvements to their shattered lives and to live in safety and dignity. They also want to see progress on the file of detainees, abductees and missing persons, which continues to affect the lives of so many families in every corner of Syria. Scaled-up action with regard to releases, particularly of women, children, the sick and the elderly, and the sharing of information on the fate and whereabouts of missing persons is more vital than ever.”
2022-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8978 (2022) · source
“I thank all who have engaged so far, and I appreciate the constructive ideas that have been shared to date. I look forward to continuing the consultations with those whom I have not yet been able to consult and to further rounds of engagement. Following my last briefing to the Council, I consulted with the Syrian Women’s Advisory Board in Norway and look forward to welcoming it in Switzerland from 14 to 21 March. Meanwhile, on Sunday, I will meet with a diverse group of Syrian civil society representatives invited for thematic consultations through the Civil Society Support Room in Geneva. I very much look forward to resuming that direct engagement and to hearing their feedback, suggestions and ideas.”
2022-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8978 (2022) · source
“In that spirit, as I continue to facilitate the Constitutional Committee, I have been seeking to identify areas where consensus might be found on a series of reciprocal confidence-building measures in resolution 2254 (2015) that could be implemented in parallel, step for step and, in the process, to explore how a broader political process could be constructed to tackle all the issues in the resolution. As I told the Council last month (see S/PV.8955), I am asking interlocutors not only what they would demand, but also what they would be able to put on the table. The aim would be to make progress, step for step, on issues through commitments that are made with precision, that are verifiable and that are implemented in parallel. I am listening carefully to all interlocutors as to how they believe it is possible to make progress.”
2022-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8978 (2022) · source
“In parallel, I have also continued to engage with the Syrian parties, meeting with the Syrian Government in Damascus and the Syrian Negotiations Commission in Istanbul and here in Geneva. I also held in-depth discussions with the Foreign Ministers of Jordan, Turkey and Russia in their capitals this month. Resolution 2254 (2015) speaks of the need for a political negotiation and for confidence-building measures to support progress, and it enumerates a range of specifics in that regard.”
2022-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8978 (2022) · source
“However, in line with the terms of reference and core rules of procedure, what we need is a sense of compromise and constructive engagement from all delegations so that the Committee works expeditiously and continuously to produce results and continued progress, without foreign interference or externally imposed timelines. The co-Chairs have agreed to future sessions in May and June 2022 and to discuss a workplan, which is plainly needed. In the meantime, I have continued, and will continue, to work on the broader process to implement other elements of resolution 2254 (2015) that lie outside the constitutional basket. I am conducting a rolling process of consultations to identify how that might be done.”
2022-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8978 (2022) · source
“I am glad to report that we have now set a date for convening the seventh session of the small body of the Syrian-owned, Syrian-led United Nations-facilitated Constitutional Committee in Geneva on 21 March. In that regard, the background is that, on the last day of the sixth session, the co-Chairs agreed with each other on the fifth day of the session that the Committee needed a mechanism to improve the workings, and, with my facilitation, they reached an agreement on how that could be done. It is important that the small body’s work continue, including in such a manner that it builds trust and confidence. The parties’ positions are substantively far apart and narrowing their differences will inevitably be an incremental process.”
2022-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8978 (2022) · source
“Yet again, we have seen more violence across international borders — drone strikes in the north-east; Israeli strikes in the south and in Damascus; and further security incidents on the Syrian-Jordanian border, which Amman states are related to drug smuggling. We have also seen Security Council-listed terrorist groups active across Syria. We note the United States ground operation that killed the leader of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. It is plain that there is a stalemate, that there is acute suffering and that a political solution is the only way out. That requires a Syrian-led, Syrian- owned political process, which must be supported by constructive international diplomacy, however hard that is, especially right now.”
2022-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8978 (2022) · source
“For my part, I remain steadfastly committed to implementing my mandate in resolution 2254 (2015) to convene the Syrian parties in a formal political process and to exercising good offices to promote the full implementation of the resolution in a manner that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people and restores the full sovereignty, unity independence and territorial integrity of Syria. Militarily, the front lines remain unshifted, but we still see all the signs of an ongoing hot conflict. Any of a number of flashpoints could ignite a broader conflagration. We continue to see mutual shelling, skirmishes, improvised explosive devices and security incidents across the front lines in the north-west, the north-east and the south-west.”
2022-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8978 (2022) · source
“Mr. Pedersen: Every month, I draw your attention to the fact that Syrians across the country and those who are displaced are facing poverty and hunger at levels higher than at any point in the conflict Ms Msuya will brief the Council on the latest humanitarian situation. However, let me emphasize that the full implementation of resolution 2585 (2021) is important not only on humanitarian grounds, but also in the context of building trust and confidence.”
2022-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8978 (2022) · source
“Their suggestions are serious and practical. My team also continues to engage Syrian women more broadly, and I value their contributions to resolving the conflict. We equally look forward in the coming weeks to convening participants in Geneva through the Civil Society Support Room. We are also continuing our constant engagement with a diverse group of civil- society actors through a dedicated digital platform. I can promise the Council that I will continue to spare no effort to engage the Syrian Government and the opposition, all sectors of Syrian society — men and women — and all key international stakeholders, in pursuit of my mandate in line with resolution 2254 (2015). It is an enormous challenge to make real progress that can make a difference to the Syrian people, but that is what we must do.”
2022-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8955 (2022) · source
“I am ready to convene a seventh session of the Constitutional Committee in Geneva as soon as understandings are in place. It remains my wish that we could then have several sessions in the months ahead and indeed do serious work. When we have the agreement of the co-Chairs, we will of course brief the civil-society Middle Third in preparation for a seventh session. You will be pleased to know, Madam President, that from here I will fly to Oslo to meet with the Syrian Women’s Advisory Board. I thank the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Norway for its kind and generous invitation to the Board, as well as the Norwegian Centre for Conflict Resolution and UN-Women for their logistical support. The members of the Syrian Women’s Advisory Board continue to advise me on a broad range of questions related to the crisis in Syria and its resolution.”
2022-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8955 (2022) · source
“As part of that, I am actively engaged in seeking to reconvene the Syrian-led and -owned and United Nations-facilitated Constitutional Committee. The Committee’s work so far remains disappointing. The present challenge is to ensure that the delegations not only submit constitutional texts but are prepared to revise them in the light of the discussions to try to find some common ground or at least to narrow their differences. We need a productive drafting process, according to the Committee’s mandate. Let me remind the Council that as outlined in its terms of reference, the Committee must work expeditiously and continuously to produce results and make continued progress. I am continuing to engage, including with both co-Chairs, in an effort to produce a clear understanding, and some ideas have been floated.”
2022-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8955 (2022) · source
“In time, I hope that we can begin to identify and agree on incremental, reciprocal, mutual, realistic, precise and verifiable steps that could be taken in parallel in areas such as these. That would build trust and confidence, make an impact on the suffering of the Syrian people and help to move the political process forward. Our goal remains to create the kind of safe, calm, neutral environment where a constitutional process could take hold, and ultimately where elections can take place administered under United Nations supervision, as envisaged in resolution 2254 (2015). All of this would be in the context of respecting and restoring Syria’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and enabling the Syrians to determine their own future.”
2022-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8955 (2022) · source
“Frankly, I welcome fresh ideas from any quarter that could bring about action on issues such as detainees, abductees and missing persons; humanitarian assistance and early recovery, building on the progress made in adopting and continuing to implement resolution 2585 (2021); the conditions for safe, dignified and voluntary refugee returns; restoring socioeconomic conditions — which, as the Council is aware, have collapsed after more than a decade of war and conflict, corruption, mismanagement, the Lebanese financial crisis, the coronavirus disease and, indeed, sanctions. Solidifying calm throughout Syria and interim stabilization is of course a key aspect as is, at the same time, cooperating in countering terrorism. Then there are also what I call diplomatic issues.”
2022-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8955 (2022) · source
“Meanwhile, following consultations in December with Russia, the European Union, Turkey and Qatar, in January I consulted the League of Arab States, Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States in Geneva. I will be continuing the consultations with additional interlocutors in the coming period. This is a rolling process in which it will be necessary to revert to interlocutors repeatedly over time. My question for all the interlocutors is the same: can they identify not only what they demand, but also what they are prepared to put on the table in exchange for steps from the other side?”
2022-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8955 (2022) · source