YouSaid · the spoken record

Sabbagh

lines on the record: 652
first: 2021-06-03
most recent: 2023-09-27
sittings or episodes: 62
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 right way to deal with the issue means abandoning this mistaken approach and enabling the necessary work to be conducted without politicization. We call on the OPCW Technical Secretariat to engage neutrally and in good faith, and to respect the scientific interpretations provided by the Syrian National Authority on some of the issues under discussion. It is time to restore the technical nature of the OPCW’s tasks and enable it to do its work with professionalism and impartiality.”
2023-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9275 (2023) · source
“The fact that some countries continue to intentionally overlook the serious terrorist threat posed by terrorist organizations’ possession of weapons of mass destruction creates serious risks for all Member States. That must be acknowledged and condemned, because immediate and serious action is needed to prevent such weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists. In conclusion, it has become clear that the repetition of these discussions when there have been no actual developments that would justify them has trapped us in a vicious circle that is wasting the Council’s time and resources. The persistent hostile approach of some countries and their attempts to influence public opinion and exploit these discussions for political purposes that are well known will not lead to any progress.”
2023-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9275 (2023) · source
“That was clearly evident in the performative suspension of Syria’s rights and privileges in the OPCW, which was done by setting up artificial time frames for unenforceable requirements, a situation that is without precedent in the OPCW’s history. Armed terrorist groups continue to coordinate with the White Helmets group, the arm of the terrorist Al-Nusra Front, to stage chemical-weapon incidents and accuse the Syrian Government of carrying them out. Information recently emerged that the terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham has been coordinating with the White Helmets to transport a number of plastic barrels containing chlorine among warehouses in rural Idlib.”
2023-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9275 (2023) · source
“The fact that some countries have launched campaigns questioning Syria’s initial declaration and falsely accusing it of failing to implement its commitments has also been ignored, and in many cases there has been a refusal to point to the positive results that have been achieved. All of those are clear indications of the extent to which the issue has been politicized and the Organization has strayed from the noble purpose for which it was founded. The unprofessional reports of the Technical Secretariat, which are based on information with no credibility and do not follow the methodology stipulated in the CWC, have enabled some countries to use the OPCW as a platform to target Syria.”
2023-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9275 (2023) · source
“They were destroyed as a result of an Israeli aggression on the site confirmed by official Israeli sources, including Israel’s Minister of Intelligence. Israel should be condemned and held accountable for that act, along with all of its other repeated attacks on Syria’s sovereignty. That is the job of the Security Council, which is entrusted with maintaining international peace and security. Yet the Syrian National Authority’s constructive and productive cooperation over the years and all the facilities it has provided to the various teams of the OPCW have been ignored.”
2023-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9275 (2023) · source
“The Syrian National Authority also facilitates semi-annual visits by inspection teams from the OPCW Technical Secretariat to the Scientific Studies and Research Centre facility, of which nine rounds have been conducted to date. The national focal point is ready to communicate with its counterpart in the OPCW to prepare for the high- level meeting between the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, the Chairman of the Syrian National Authority and the OPCW Director-General. We look forward to convening that meeting as soon as possible. The Syrian National Authority recently provided the OPCW Technical Secretariat with pictures of the site where the two chlorine cylinders related to the alleged incident in Douma were destroyed.”
2023-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9275 (2023) · source
“It has implemented all its obligations under the conventions I mentioned. Syria has continued its constructive cooperation with the OPCW, as demonstrated in many ways, the most recent of which include the following. The Syrian National Authority submitted its 111th report on the activities conducted on its territory and received the reduced Declaration Assessment Team, which visited Syria in January 2023. During that visit, consultations were held between the two sides and many elements relating to a number of outstanding issues were discussed. The Authority facilitated visits to certain sites, the collection of samples and the holding of interviews with witnesses.”
2023-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9275 (2023) · source
“Based on its commitment to disarmament and non-proliferation, the Syrian Arab Republic took a strategic and voluntary decision in 2013 to accede to the Chemical Weapons Convention. It was also one of the first countries to accede to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and is also a signatory of the Biological Weapons Convention. We actively contribute to efforts to establish a zone free from all weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East. The Syrian Arab Republic has repeatedly expressed its categorical condemnation of the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anytime, anywhere and under any circumstances. It has cooperated with full transparency and openness with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and destroyed its entire chemical stockpile and production facilities in 2014.”
2023-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9275 (2023) · source
“The most heinous of those incidents was the dropping by the United States of America of two atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan in 1945, which killed hundreds of thousands of people. The International Day also reminds us of the first-ever use of chemical weapons in the Belgian town of Ypres during the First World War, which also killed tens of thousands of people. On 19 March 2013, the Syrian Arab Republic witnessed the first use of chemical weapons, when terrorist groups fired a shell carrying toxic chemicals at the Khan Al-Assal area in Aleppo governorate, leading to the killing of 25 martyrs, most of whom were Syrian Arab Army personnel, and injuring 110 others owing to asphyxiation and fainting. That incident continues to be ignored by certain countries.”
2023-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9275 (2023) · source
“Mr. Sabbagh (Syrian Arab Republic) (spoke in Arabic): At the outset, I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for this month. I also wish to thank your predecessor, the Permanent Representative of Malta, for her leadership of the work of the Council in February. Yesterday the world celebrated the first International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness. That occasion reminds us of the importance of the efforts to eliminate weapons of mass destruction, the use of which constitutes a crime against humanity and has resulted in the worst tragedies that humankind has suffered.”
2023-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9275 (2023) · source
“They require heightened international support and enormous resources, which will be possible only when humanitarian considerations are prioritized over political considerations, sincere and genuine support is provided to Syria and its people, donors fulfil their commitments and a safe and stable environment is provided to Syrians. That requires supporting counter-terrorism efforts, stopping Israel’s repeated and systematic attacks, ending the illegal foreign presence on Syrian territory and lifting the unilateral and coercive measures imposed on the Syrian people immediately, completely and unconditionally.”
2023-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9272 (2023) · source
“Lastly, sanctions and restrictions imposed on Syrian banks, including the Central Bank of Syria, have led to the freezing or severing of financial relations with foreign banks and have prevented them from conducting the financial transactions necessary for all the vital sectors that I have just mentioned. The list goes on and on. Those are just some examples of the negative repercussions of the United States and European sanctions. In conclusion, I would like to note that the efforts needed to overcome the destructive consequences of the earthquake are ongoing.”
2023-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9272 (2023) · source
“Sixth, sanctions and restrictions imposed on the import of heavy construction machinery and other construction equipment to Syria weakened its ability to address the repercussions of the earthquake and demonstrated the urgent need for such equipment in rescue operations and the removal of tens of thousands of tons of debris and rubble of destroyed buildings, as well as to build housing units for hundreds of thousands of earthquake victims. Seventh, restrictions and sanctions imposed on imports of fertilizers needed for agriculture and food production, or as a component for making them locally, have caused irreparable damage to Syria’s agricultural production and contributed to a sharp rise in the cost of locally produced food. They have undermined food security for Syrians and led to acute levels of malnutrition.”
2023-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9272 (2023) · source
“Moreover, the illegal seizure by the United States of oil and gas fields in north-east Syria and oil-smuggling operations have deprived the Syrian people of that important material and billions of dollars in revenue. Fourth, sanctions and restrictions imposed on the import of power stations, power-related equipment and spare parts have deprived Syrians of electricity for more than 20 hours a day, on average. Fifth, sanctions and restrictions imposed on the import of equipment and machinery necessary for supplying drinking water, irrigation, sterilizing and purifying water and repairing and improving the sewage system caused the spread of many diseases, especially cholera.”
2023-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9272 (2023) · source
“Many international airlines were forced to use Beirut Airport for fear of those sanctions, thereby incurring additional costs and delaying the delivery of assistance to the victims of the earthquake. Second, sanctions and restrictions imposed on public and private hospitals in Syria, including children’s hospitals, and the preventing of international companies from selling medicines and necessary medical equipment to Syria exacerbated the vulnerability of the health sector in Syria, including during the pandemic and the earthquake. Third, sanctions and restrictions imposed on the import of oil and oil derivatives to Syria have caused an acute shortage of fuel used for heating, transportation and electricity generation.”
2023-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9272 (2023) · source
“81) We are well aware that the United States of America and the European Union will not acknowledge the extent of the negative impacts of the unilateral sanctions they impose on Syrians. I will therefore briefly present some aspects that expose the inaccuracy of their claims and prove that such unjust sanctions have a harmful effect on Syrians and that they were indeed originally designed for that purpose. First, sanctions and restrictions imposed on the Syrian air transport sector and civil aviation equipment affected the safety of civilian passengers and caused many difficulties for international relief flights to Syrian airports, both before and after the disaster.”
2023-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9272 (2023) · source
“In that regard, we express serious concern about the low levels of funding for the humanitarian response plan for Syria. The 2022 plan has received less than 50 per cent of pledged funding. That is why we call on donor countries to provide the necessary funding to the humanitarian response plan and to the humanitarian flash appeal for Syria in order to ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance to all those in need across the country. In his latest report on the humanitarian situation in Syria (S/2023/127), the Secretary-General reaffirms the “importance of providing clear reassurances that no unilateral sanctions will interfere with relief operations benefiting the Syrian population.” (S/2023/127, para.”
2023-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9272 (2023) · source
“The Syrian Arab Republic once again expresses its thanks and appreciation to all countries that stood in solidarity with Syria and its people and promptly responded to the needs of Syrian people facing such difficult circumstances. That lent important support to national efforts to mitigate the effects of the earthquake and save many of the injured. We also express our appreciation to the Secretary-General for launching the flash appeal to respond to the catastrophic repercussions of the earthquake. International efforts should focus on rebuilding infrastructure and addressing the damage to the necessary service, health and educational facilities. That is an urgent need when it comes to the return of displaced people affected by the earthquake to their regions and homes.”
2023-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9272 (2023) · source
“We reject all attempts to politicize the humanitarian situation in Syria, whether through orders from the operators of the terrorist group the Al-Nusra Front/Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham to prevent the cross-line entry of humanitarian assistance, or the scepticism and disruption practiced by some Western countries of the Syrian Government’s decision to allow the entry of humanitarian assistance through two new border crossings, as well as the allegations of those countries that assistance is being derailed. That derailment is unconfirmed by the United Nations and is a lie that aims to disrupt the efforts by the Syrian Government to ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Syrians. Why have we not heard a condemnation by those countries of terrorist groups hindering the delivery of cross-line humanitarian assistance?”
2023-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9272 (2023) · source
“The Syrian Government also continued to grant the necessary approvals and facilities to deliver humanitarian aid from within Syria, including organizing cross-line humanitarian missions to north- west Syria, for a period of six months, in order to provide humanitarian assistance and to conduct humanitarian- needs assessments in that area to respond to the repercussions of the earthquake and its aftershocks. Syria reaffirms the importance of continuing to implement all those measures in good faith.”
2023-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9272 (2023) · source
“At the same time, the Syrian Government stressed its commitment to deliver humanitarian assistance to all Syrians on Syrian territory, including in north- west Syria. The Syrian Government took a sovereign decision to approve the opening of two additional border crossings — Bab Al-Salam and Al-Rai — for a period of three months in order to deliver humanitarian assistance to our people in that region. That decision allowed the entry to date of hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian aid, which reflects the importance of the agreement reached with the United Nations.”
2023-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9272 (2023) · source
“The Government of the Syrian Arab Republic, within its limited capabilities, continues to make every effort to facilitate the emergency response to the effects of the earthquake in the four afflicted governorates. In that regard, the Syrian Government provided the necessary facilities and exemptions for the arrival of humanitarian aid and relief workers through the three Syrian airports, the Latakia seaport and the land border crossings with Lebanon and Jordan. It granted open approvals and facilities to the United Nations and international organizations operating in Syria, including by facilitating and accelerating customs procedures, granting visas and ensuring the entry of supplies and emergency relief workers to support those affected.”
2023-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9272 (2023) · source
“The Syrian Arab Republic called on the Security Council to assume its primary responsibilities in condemning those Israeli attacks and to take the necessary measures to deter them, hold accountable and punish their perpetrators and ensure that they are not repeated. In that regard, Syria reiterates its call on the countries supporting Israel in the Council, especially the United States of America, to stop obstructing the Security Council’s fulfilment of its mandate to end the crimes committed by the Israeli occupation and terrorist groups and to hold them accountable. More than three weeks have passed since the devastating earthquake that struck Syria, leaving thousands of victims and injured and destroying hundreds of buildings and other infrastructure and service facilities.”
2023-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9272 (2023) · source
“According to initial numbers, that attack claimed the lives of five martyrs and seriously injured 15 civilians. It also destroyed a number of civilian homes and caused material damage to several educational centres and historical sites. That Israeli terrorist attack was premeditated and part of Israel’s systematic targeting of Syrian civilians and civilian objects, including homes, service centres, airports and seaports. Such an attack constitutes an absolute war crime and is a gross violation of international law and the principles and provisions of the Charter of the United Nations. It is an explicit threat to peace and security in the Middle East region.”
2023-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9272 (2023) · source
“Mr. Sabbagh (Syrian Arab Republic) (spoke in Arabic): As the Syrian Arab Republic was recovering from the aftermath of the earthquake, burying its martyrs and racing against time to address the catastrophic consequences of that devastating earthquake, terrorist and Israeli occupation forces were targeting Syria and its people. The Da’esh terrorist organization carried out a brutal attack, killing 53 citizens and injuring others while they were foraging for truffles in the city of Al-Sukhna, east of Homs governorate. Simultaneously with that terrorist aggression, the occupying Israeli entity launched an air strike on Sunday, 19 February from the occupied Golan, using missiles against residential neighbourhoods full of civilians in Damascus.”
2023-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9272 (2023) · source
“We wanted them to have the courage to demand accountability for the countries that provided all forms of support to terrorist organizations in Syria and enabled them to possess and use toxic weapons and chemicals. They should have the same enthusiasm to hold the United States of America accountable for the crimes it has committed against the Syrian people and the destruction by its planes of Syrian cities over the heads of their residents. Before concluding my statement, I would like to address the Director-General, Mr. Arias, who dedicated one third of his statement to talk about accountability, and ask the following: who entrusted him with implementing that task, and what provision in the Convention mandated him to carry out that task?”
2023-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9255 (2023) · source
“Powell himself described what he said before the Council as a “disgrace”. Today is similar to that day — the same theatrics, the same lies and the same mastermind — but this time the target is Syria, under a similar pretext of it possessing and using chemical weapons. Therefore, the world must learn from the lessons of the past, and not allow the United States and its allies to play such a misleading game once again. The crimes committed by the United States in Iraq are incontestable, and that is why we say to those who talk about accountability and get excited about it that they should demand that the United States be held accountable for those crimes.”
2023-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9255 (2023) · source
“The Syrian Arab Republic stresses its non-recognition of the so-called IIT and its reports. We categorically reject those reports, including their erroneous conclusions. We consider the issuance of the IIT report as yet another confirmation of the continued politicization of that dossier by the United States and its Western allies and their manipulation of such reports to serve their agendas. Twenty years ago, and specifically on 5 February 2003, Colin Powell, the United States Secretary of State at that time, was in this Chamber to play a theatrical role in a play of deception prepared in advance to justify the United States invasion of Iraq under the pretext of its possession of weapons of mass destruction. It turned out later that all of that was just baseless lies, and Mr.”
2023-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9255 (2023) · source
“They used the incident as a pretext for acts of aggression on several military and civilian sites in Syria and to impose more sanctions and an unjust siege on the Syrian people. That aggression clearly demonstrates that the alleged Douma incident is the product of a plot invented by those countries to strike the Syrian Arab Army forces at a time when the latter was making progress in its battle against terrorism by targeting terrorists’ cells and fortifications with focused and accurate strikes using its conventional weapons. Therefore, the report of the IIT was issued only to justify the aggression of those three countries against Syria on 24 April 2018, and that explains the applause and welcome with which those three countries received the report in today’s meeting.”
2023-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9255 (2023) · source
“That decision, which was supported by less than half of the OPCW member States — only 82 out of 193 countries — following the flagrant manipulation of the provisions of the CWC and the clear infringement of its provisions by attributing responsibility not stipulated in the Convention, has made the establishment of the IIT illegitimate. Accordingly, the Syrian Arab Republic and other countries announced that they do not recognize that illegitimate Team and therefore do not recognize its reports. Seventh, the so-called IIT took years to inform us of a conclusion identical to the accusations that the countries of the tripartite aggression against Syria, namely, the United States, France and the United Kingdom, levelled only hours after the fabrication of the alleged incident in Douma.”
2023-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9255 (2023) · source
“Does that reflect the provisions of the CWC, which he is entrusted to implement? He used the term “highest standards and best practices”. Does that phrase exist in the Convention? Where did he get it from? Sixth, the decision adopted on 27 June 2018 by the fourth special session of the Conference of the States Parties to the CWC, according to which the so-called IIT was established, constituted a dangerous turning point in the history of the OPCW, clearly reflecting the colossal politicization carried out by the United States and its Western allies, pushing the technical organization into a political labyrinth that has undermined its credibility.”
2023-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9255 (2023) · source
“Unfortunately, the Fact- Finding Mission did not rectify the incorrect and unprofessional working methods that it followed during its investigation despite all the calls for it to adhere to the rules stipulated in the CWC and the terms of reference agreed with Syria. The collection of evidence without the slightest level of credibility, the samples without a legal chain of custody and the reliance on suspicious open sources and fabricated and misleading information provided by terrorist organizations and their affiliates — namely, the White Helmets, who are sponsored by Western intelligence services — cannot constitute a scientific or professional basis and cannot lead to objective conclusions. Mr. Arias said that some samples had been collected and some samples had been received.”
2023-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9255 (2023) · source
“Fourth, in the same context, many academics, independent military experts and specialists from the OPCW, such as Mr. José Bustani, the first Director- General of the Organization, and inspector Ian Henderson, who led the team that investigated the Douma incident, as well as many others, provided accurate scientific analysis and professionally refuted the conclusions contained in the report of the Fact- Finding Mission on the alleged Douma incident and proved that the report was unprofessional, biased and unfair. Fifth, the Syrian Arab Republic had stressed that the Fact-Finding Mission’s incorrect and unprofessional approach to the Douma incident would naturally lead to erroneous conclusions.”
2023-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9255 (2023) · source
“Second, immediately after claims of an alleged use of chemical weapons in Douma on 17 April 2018, the Syrian Arab Republic requested the Director-General of the OPCW to send a Fact-Finding Mission to investigate that incident. However, its arrival to Damascus was delayed for a whole week for unknown reasons. Third, on 26 April 2018, the Syrian Arab Republic and the Russian Federation brought 17 witnesses from the site of the incident in the city of Douma to the OPCW’s headquarter at The Hague to testify about that alleged chemical attack. At a press conference, they refuted all the allegations that had been fabricated by terrorist groups and their supporters, stressing that they were all staged allegations. However, the Fact-Finding Mission did not interview them and their testimonies were not heard.”
2023-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9255 (2023) · source
“The Syrian Arab Republic has cooperated openly and transparently with the OPCW, facilitated the visits of its various teams and was keen to work with it in order to correct its wrong working methods that affected the credibility of its reports and distanced it from the professional role and technical mandate entrusted to it by the CWC. During a significant part of this meeting, the report of the so-called Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) on the alleged incident in Douma was addressed. My delegation would like therefore to clarify its position as follows. First, the Syrian Arab Republic has consistently and repeatedly affirmed its firm position of condemning the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anytime, anywhere and under any circumstances.”
2023-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9255 (2023) · source
“The Government of my country has called on the States Members of the United Nations to support the Syrian people and the Government’s efforts to address that humanitarian disaster, in terms of search and rescue or providing emergency food and medication assistance. Time is of the essence, and urgent assistance will save many lives. The Syrian Arab Republic took a strategic decision in 2013 to join the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and completely destroyed its stockpile of those weapons in record time, despite the difficult circumstances it was going through. The United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed that.”
2023-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9255 (2023) · source
“Mr. Sabbagh (Syrian Arab Republic) (spoke in Arabic): At the outset, I would like to congratulate you, Madam President, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month and wish you every success. I would also like to thank your predecessor, the Permanent Representative of Japan, for his efforts during his country’s presidency of the Council last month. I would like to address my thanks and appreciation to the Member States that have expressed their condolences to the Government and the people of the Syrian Arab Republic for the victims of the devastating earthquake that hit many Syrian cities early Monday morning.”
2023-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9255 (2023) · source
“The Syrian Arab Republic reaffirms that the ultimate solution to the crisis in Syria requires stopping the repeated and systematic Israeli acts of aggression; ending the illegal foreign presence on Syrian territories in the north-east and north-west of the country, as well as the presence of affiliated terrorist groups and separatist militias; the immediate and unconditional lifting of measures of economic terrorism and collective punishment imposed on the Syrian people; improving the humanitarian situation by addressing the humanitarian needs of Syrians fairly and without discrimination; donors fulfilling the commitments they have made regarding the humanitarian response plan; and increasing and expanding early-recovery projects in quantity and quality.”
2023-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9248 (2023) · source
“Today it is more determined than ever to continue their efforts aimed at combating the remnants of terrorists and restoring security and stability throughout Syria. The Syrian Government has also supported political settlement tracks and national reconciliation efforts, which have strengthened national unity, preserved Syrian social cohesion and facilitated the delivery of humanitarian assistance to those who deserve it, to meet the needs of Syrians and support their resilience. Syria has also implemented its legal obligations under the international conventions that it has joined. It has supported all initiatives put forward by brotherly and friendly countries, especially the Astana format meetings, to mitigate the repercussions of the crisis or find solutions for it.”
2023-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9248 (2023) · source
“The Syrian Arab Republic condemns all those crimes, violations and immoral practices perpetrated by the United States of America and its allies and calls upon the Security Council to assume its responsibilities and fulfil its mandate to ensure respect of Syria’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity, and ensure compensation for all damages borne by the Syrian people as a result of those faulty policies and practices. During those difficult years, the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic has dealt responsibly with all the challenges it has faced. With high patriotic spirit, the Syrian people have worked to combat terrorism, and the Government succeeded in eliminating a large part of it.”
2023-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9248 (2023) · source
“They also use various international bodies as a tool for exerting political pressure on Syria by openly manipulating international conventions or opting for their selective misinterpretation in order to create politicized mechanisms. Such destructive behaviour by the United States in Syria has brought insecurity and instability to millions of Syrians. It has turned a large number of them into refugees and displaced persons, undermined their food security and caused difficult humanitarian conditions. The coronavirus disease pandemic, the harsh winter and the outbreak of cholera and other infectious diseases have only exacerbated the Syrian people’s suffering and misery.”
2023-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9248 (2023) · source
“It is regrettable to hear certain United States and European Union officials publicly and privately stating that they will not implement the recently adopted resolution 2672 (2023), in particular its provisions on early recovery and electricity. That means essentially that the resolution will remain unimplemented, as is the custom with those countries, and we will hold them accountable for that before the Council in advance. The United States of America and its Western allies have not lost a single opportunity to exploit and politicize humanitarian activities. They blackmail and pressure those in charge by controlling funding.”
2023-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9248 (2023) · source
“They have only exacerbated the suffering of Syrians inside and outside Syria, especially as they impact third countries. The targeting of the Syrian health sector, which provides health care to millions of Syrians, including specialized children’s hospitals, by the Bureau of Industry and Security of the United States Department of Commerce, through the restrictions it has imposed on the sale of equipment and the provision of services, support and spare parts to many Syrian public and private hospitals, is an example of how those measures threaten the lives of millions of Syrians. Moreover, the United States delegation, together with other delegations, claims that sanctions do not affect the health sector. They shed crocodile tears in this Chamber, while claiming that they are providing humanitarian assistance to Syrians.”
2023-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9248 (2023) · source
“That has prevented the Council from assuming its responsibility to address Israel’s repeated acts of aggression against Syria’s sovereignty and vital infrastructure, the most recent of which was the attack on Damascus International Airport at the beginning of this year, which led to a number of martyrdoms, casualties, material losses and the temporary suspension of the civilian airport’s services. Those who claim here that they are protecting Syria and Syrians failed to condemn those attacks, which demonstrates the level of their hypocrisy and adherence to double standards. At the same time, the United States and its European allies have imposed unilateral coercive measures on the Syrian people that are illegitimate, inhumane and immoral.”
2023-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9248 (2023) · source
“They have manipulated the provisions of international law and the Charter of the United Nations to justify their illegal military presence on Syrian territory, which has gravely threatened the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Syria and led to the theft of more than $100 billion in Syrian national resources and wealth, primarily in the form of oil, wheat and gas. The United States and its Western allies have provided protection and impunity for Israel, which has enabled Israel to continue its occupation of the Syrian Golan since 1967.”
2023-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9248 (2023) · source
“That malicious policy has destroyed all political, economic and social achievements and has led to the emergence of terrorist organizations, in particular Da’esh and the Al-Nusra Front. That policy has also created harmful and obscure structures alien to Syrian society, the sole purpose of which is to serve the selfish geopolitical interests of the United States of America and its allies. The United States and its NATO allies have invented a number of pretexts for directly intervening in Syria.”
2023-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9248 (2023) · source
“It is therefore important that we take a moment to look at the root causes that led the Syrians to the current difficult humanitarian situation, including its deterioration and persistence. The wrong policies pursued by the United States of America throughout the world — in our region in general and in Syria in particular — led to instability and insecurity and destroyed the development achievements achieved over decades. The policy of creative chaos adopted by successive United States Administrations in our region and in Syria, which is a vital part of the region, has produced and exacerbated problems and ignited tensions, thereby resulting in conflicts. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been provided to suspicious media outlets to mislead public opinion and distort the image of the Syrian State.”
2023-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9248 (2023) · source
“Mr. Sabbagh (Syrian Arab Republic) (spoke in Arabic): At the outset, I would like to reiterate my delegation’s position on the practice of holding monthly Security Council meetings on Syria in the absence of any relevant developments. That leads Member States to the usual routine of repeating the same statements and phrases. However, it seems that those who are attached to this kind of discussion have no regard for the Council’s time and resources and for their use to maintain international peace and security. They would rather exploit the Council to repeatedly launch campaigns of lies and misinformation while fabricating baseless accusations. In 2022, Syrians were faced with difficult and multifaceted humanitarian crises, while the beginning of 2023 has created opportunities for agreeing on solutions to resolve and alleviate them.”
2023-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9248 (2023) · source
“That is the height of political hypocrisy and demonstrates the double standards that the European Union has been practicing.”
2023-01-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9246Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Before I conclude my statement, I would like to express my delegation’s disapproval of the insistence of the European Union delegation on including issues related to Syria in its statement, as these issues have nothing to do with the topic of today’s open debate. It has done so in order to divert attention away from the main objective of our discussion. In order to use the Council’s time wisely, and out of our commitment to today’s topic, I am not going to respond to the political lies in that statement. However, I would like to remind the delegation of the European Union that it deliberately turned a blind eye in its statement to all of Israel’s violations in the occupied Syrian Golan and its continuous attacks on Syria’s sovereignty.”
2023-01-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9246Resumption1 (2023) · source