Opening remarks by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations on the briefing on Syria, during the General Assembly meeting. "Throughout March, the world has marked a decade since the beginning of the conflict in Syria, which started with the violent suppression of peaceful demonstrations demanding justice, freedom and dignity. We honor the victims of the war and all those who persevere in the search for peace. I welcome this opportunity to brief the Member States on the situation in Syria, in particular the political, humanitarian and human rights situation and the efforts of the United Nations to give the Syrian people hope for the future. Excellencies, Let me reiterate at the outset that that there can be no military solution to the conflict in Syria, and yet the situation continues to drift toward one of “no war, no peace”. We must pursue a negotiated political settlement in line with Security Council resolution 2254, adopted in 2015. A first step must include credible progress within the Constitutional Committee in order to implement resolution 2254’s call for the drafting of a new constitution, allowing for the conduct of free and fair elections, administered under United Nations supervision with all Syrians, including members of the diaspora, eligible to participate. My Special Envoy has convened five sessions of the Constitutional Committee. The results of the Committee’s work so far have fallen short of my expectations. More importantly, they have fallen short of the Syrian people’s expectations. That is why I fully support my Special Envoy’s call that a sixth session needs to be different from what has gone before – with clear goals, credible working methods, enhanced Co-Chair cooperation and a future workplan. Meaningful work within the Constitutional Committee could at last begin to build trust, and move away from the present level of distrust. It could begin to open the door toward a broader political process and much-needed compromise. However, the United Nations cannot move forward alone. Nor can the Syrians; the issues are not solely in their hands. After all, several foreign armed forces, even if with different status, conduct military operations in Syria. I am convinced that mutual and reciprocal steps by the Syrian parties and among key international stakeholders on the comprehensive set of issues outlined in Security Council resolution 2254 can unlock the path. Excellencies, For almost a year, Syria has experienced relative calm. Since the ceasefire arrangements agreed between the Astana guarantors, Turkey and Russia, on 5 March 2020, the main frontlines in the northeast and northwest have remained static. However, by any other measure, it was still a treacherous year. Airstrikes, exchanges of artillery and small arms fire continued. The trend towards relative calm was seriously challenged on 21 March, when dozens of civilian casualties were reported in northwest Syria as a result of attacks on a UN-supported hospital in Atarib; by an aerial strike near Bab al Hawa, where life-saving UN humanitarian deliveries cross into Syria from Turkey, and by shelling of residential neighborhoods in Aleppo. Elsewhere, attacks with improvised explosive devices continued in crowded civilian locations in northern Syria. There has been a military build-up in northwest Syria. Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, continues to consolidate its military hold in Idlib. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, has scaled-up its attacks in central Syria. In the south, we continue to witness significant tensions between local communities, pro-government forces and former opposition fighters. Excellencies, This is a snapshot of just one year in the lives of Syrians. Over the last ten unrelenting years, the people of Syria have endured some of the gravest crimes the world has witnessed this century. They have suffered violations of human rights and international humanitarian law on a massive and systematic scale. Bombs and mortars have rained down on homes, schools, hospitals and markets. Chemical weapons have caused horrific suffering. Cities have been placed under siege, starving civilians. Large portions of the country’s territory were taken over by Security Council-designated terrorist groups, which have subjected many Syrians to unimaginable horrors. The massive violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Syria over the last decade shock the conscience. To this day, those responsible for these crimes, which may in some instances amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, have enjoyed near total impunity. Perpetrators must be held to account. The Independent Impartial Investigative Mechanism created by the General Assembly is making some headway to reduce that gap. (...)" - [ Excerpt] Full remarks [as delivered]: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2021-03-30/secretary-generals-remarks-the-general-assembly-the-situation-syria-delivered

• published: 31 Mar 2021
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