Let me begin by thanking my buddy the Excessive Consultant of the EU and Vice-President of the Fee, Mr Borrell – Ministers, Excellencies, Colleagues, Girls and Gents,

Earlier this month, all of us commemorated the tragic tenth anniversary of the Syrian battle. On the day of its celebration, I addressed the United Nations Safety Council. I reminded its members of the disastrous trajectory of a rustic which, ten years in the past, was a middle-income nation and whose inhabitants at the moment is diminished for probably the most half to distress and struggling, with 60% threat of going hungry this yr – a inhabitants of half. of that are displaced from their houses, thousands and thousands now survive as refugees or internally displaced individuals.

The Syrian folks, women and men, have suffered numerous acts of army violence and violations of worldwide regulation. Many households – from all areas and all walks of life – have skilled the torment of seeing one in every of their kin detained, kidnapped or lacking. Their nation stays torn by territorial fragmentation. Syrian girls have been disproportionately and uniquely affected. And the pandemic has solely worsened a society and financial system decimated by a decade of battle and mismanagement, corruption, disconnection from world markets and the financial hardships of neighboring nations. The Syrian civil society that the Excessive Consultant and I engaged this morning inside the framework of the CSSR platform, regardless of the variety of their opinions and experiences, unanimously reminded us of the crucial to face the a number of sufferings of their communities. You’ll hear their widespread messages throughout this session.

Excellencies,

Since we met in June final yr, the state of affairs on the bottom in Syria has been comparatively calm, with secure entrance traces for over a yr now. However let’s not be misled by this calm. In a context the place army tensions stay excessive and frequent eruptions of violence proceed to happen, the place hospitals and civilians are nonetheless affected, and the place 5 international armies are working in shut proximity to one another, the flames might reignite at any time. It’s extra pressing than ever to maneuver ahead in direction of the nationwide ceasefire that Safety Council decision 2254 known as for.

It could be equally deceptive to disregard the risk that teams acknowledged as terrorists by the Safety Council proceed to pose at the moment. The resurgence of those teams and the territorial affect of a few of them can’t go away the worldwide group detached. On the similar time, it’s clear that this problem can solely be met in a fashion according to worldwide regulation and the rules of the safety of civilians.

Excessive Consultant Borrell, Excellencies,

I absolutely help the phrases of the Secretary-Normal of the United Nations and of my colleague, Emergency Aid Coordinator, Lowcock, in expressing my hope that the generosity of the worldwide group will likely be reaffirmed at the moment. I additionally echo their name that the impact of the sanctions have to be mitigated in order that Syria’s skill to entry humanitarian help and medical help is just not hampered. And I keep in mind their essential requires the extension of the UN mandate to supply essential cross-border and cross-border humanitarian help.

However everyone knows that the achievement of this humanitarian crucial solely serves to reaffirm the necessity for a political settlement of the battle – a settlement that respects the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria as nicely. by responding to the professional aspirations of his Syria. in accordance with Safety Council decision 2254.

My group and I proceed to take care of intense diplomatic engagement with the Syrian Authorities and the Syrian Negotiating Fee. Specifically, I’m nonetheless serving to to place in place the circumstances for a profitable sixth session of the Constitutional Committee. We want a renewed resolve from the Syrian events, supported by the worldwide group, to finish the constitutional reform mandated by decision 2254 as a way to permit free and truthful elections, administered below UN supervision with all Syrians, together with members of the diaspora, in a position to take part.

The constitutional facet is after all just one facet of the set of points outlined in decision 2254. We want concrete motion on detainees, abductees and lacking individuals. And we should obtain the institution of a protected, calm and impartial atmosphere to which all Syrians are entitled, and which will likely be important to create the circumstances obligatory for the protected, voluntary and dignified return of Syrian refugees.

I stay inspired by the willpower of Syrian girls to totally take their place on this political course of. Excessive Consultant Borrell and I simply obtained one other testomony to their steadfastness after we met this morning with members of the Syrian Girls’s Advisory Council, the group that helps my efforts to make sure that a gender perspective is mainstreamed in all elements. of the method.

Above all, what is required at the moment to have the ability to reply to the colossal challenges dealing with Syria and the aspirations of its folks to attain peace is worldwide unity. Unity by promising the required monetary help, after all. Unity in supporting the UN’s efforts to facilitate the implementation of all elements of decision 2254. And unity in selling the identification of mutual and reciprocal steps that may permit progress to be made to this finish .

This will sooner or later require new methods for the worldwide group to come back collectively to debate what may be placed on the desk – and methods to construction that dialogue by means of cooperative diplomacy. We’re all very conscious of the variations that exist – however we should overcome them. This is not going to occur with out flexibility and a spirit of compromise, and with out the belief that an finish to this tragedy is within the pursuits of all of us – Syrians above all, and the area and the worldwide group as a complete. I imagine that every one stakeholders notice that there isn’t any army answer to this deeply internationalized battle and that it can’t be left in a state of “no battle and no peace”. We should level out that Syria stays on the coronary heart of our issues, that we’re decided to work to maneuver the political course of ahead. And I rely in your continued help.

Thanks.