Statement by Mr.Dmitry Polyanskiy, Chargé d'affaires, at the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Syria
We are grateful to Mr. Lowcock and Ms. Gamba for their briefings.
The facts on the ground attest to improvements in the situation in Syria, including on the humanitarian front. With the evacuation of residents of Fo’ah and Kafraya, there are no more besieged areas left in the country. As the risks to safety are being reduced in areas recently liberated from terrorists, the stage is gradually being set for the geographical expansion of humanitarian deliveries.
However, there are still major problems with humanitarian access in a number of areas that are not controlled by Damascus, including those occupied by the so-called coalition, in violation of Syria’s sovereignty.
Thus no significant progress has been seen in the provision of vital supplies for the inhabitants of the Rukban camp, located in a closed zone around the United States Al-Tanf military base. Nor do we see anything in the functioning of this camp that contributes to establishing peace and eradicating terrorism.
We are once again obliged to draw attention to the need to prepare for winding down the cross-border mechanism, which the Security Council introduced as a special measure at a time and in circumstances when it was not possible to conduct humanitarian operations in a number of areas from Syrian territory itself.
The situation today is fundamentally different, and it makes no sense to continue to maintain this relic of the past, which infringes on Syrian sovereignty. In addition, the Secretary-General’s review does not give us a convincing impression of the effectiveness of United Nations control over cross-border supplies and the distribution of goods in Syria. By its nature the mechanism is discriminatory, since it serves only areas temporarily controlled by armed groups.
Russia continues to provide humanitarian assistance to the Syrian side on a daily basis. We regularly present the members of the Security Council with the numbers. More than 2,800 tons of humanitarian cargo have been delivered and more than 86,000 people have been treated by our medics. In the past few years, in cooperation with specialized United Nations bodies, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, Russian specialists have provided about 300 humanitarian convoys, sometimes in extremely difficult conditions.
We are also carrying out joint humanitarian actions with international partners, a good example of which was the recent delivery of humanitarian supplies to residents of eastern Ghouta mentioned by my French colleague, conducted according to a top-level arrangement between Russia and France, an operation for which Russia provided the transport component.
In the past few weeks decisive measures have been taken to eliminate terrorist centres in the southern regions of the country, fully responding to the goals set by the Security Council and in the interests of Syria’s immediate neighbours as well as Syria itself. We in Russia have given unfailing attention to the priorities of the regional stakeholders and we maintain intensive contacts with them at various levels.
However, it is still too soon for rosy scenarios. Sadly, it does not lack for moments of tragedy, as my American colleague also mentioned today. We were shocked by the series of terrorist attacks just the other day in Suwayda province whose victims were in the hundreds. The perpetrators of that crime must be severely punished. Where punishing the guilty is concerned, it is crucial to ensure that we have the uncompromising determination of all international stakeholders to fight together and with uniform standards against terrorism in all its forms, as Council resolutions demand.
The implementation of local pacification arrangements is continuing in the areas of Dar’a and Quneitra provinces that have been liberated from terrorists. These were agreed on with the direct participation of specialists from the Russian Centre for the Reconciliation of Opposing Sides. The militants are given the opportunity to take advantage of the State amnesty, regulate their status and join the efforts to restore peaceful life, and many are making that choice. Those who are unwilling to accept reconciliation leave for the northern regions of the country with their family members.
As we have said many times, and I would like to say it again, the real humanitarian workers, whether doctors, teachers or journalists, have nothing to fear from the central authorities’ restoration of control in the liberated territories. Those who should fear for their safety are the people hiding an entirely different activity, designed to destroy the Syrian State and spread extremism and false propaganda, behind a humanitarian facade. We receive requests for help in evacuating all kinds of activists from south-western Syria and review such appeals based on humanitarian considerations and our capabilities.
The standouts in this story are the White Helmets, whom my colleagues have already discussed today, who disguise themselves as an organization for Syria’s civil defence and yet have taken part in disgusting acts of provocation, including the use of poisonous substances. Their trademark in the information war against Damascus has become the production of videos in which they have cynically exploited little children. We have already reported on such cases a number of times.
We believe that once the White Helmets are kicked out, Syria will become safer, and that once these people have moved to their foreign sponsors in Europe and North America they will eventually stop engaging in provocations and refrain from helping terrorists. As the situation in much of Syria is normalized, the task of returning refugees and internally displaced persons to their permanent homes is becoming ever more urgent. It will reduce the migration burden on host States, primarily Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt and various European countries. The main thing is that all Syrians who want to should be able to return to their homes and take part in the restoration and development of their homeland. This process has already started. The numbers of citizens returning to Syria are already in the thousands. Of course, they need appropriate conditions for their safe and dignified return and placement, and the Syrian authorities are ready to work on providing them. In an official statement on 3 July, the Government of Syria urged its citizens to return home and affirmed its responsibility for their safety and integrity.
We note that the appeal was welcomed in various States that have been hosting refugees from Syria during the conflict. I would like to emphasize that there is no basis for the insinuations that have been made with regard to Law No. 10 have no basis, as the Syrian authorities have continually explained. A whole information campaign has been cooked up accusing Damascus of wanting to expropriate the property of critics of the current Government living abroad. But the law’s only and very pertinent objective is regulating the situation related to real estate property rights, which are in a state of chaos thanks to the conflict.
It is important to note that the Syrians are not rushing to implement the law and are prepared to continue discussing the details with United Nations experts. Successfully implementing the plans for the return of refugees and internally displaced persons will require the coordinated efforts of all stakeholders in cooperation with the Syrian authorities. The specialized bodies in the United Nations system should play a major role in this, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The issue will be on the agenda of the tenth international high-level Astanaformat meeting, to be held on 30 and 31 July in Sochi.
Russia is taking concrete steps to help. The Centre for Refugee Reception, Distribution and Settlement has begun its work in coordination with Damascus with an extensive network of branches at checkpoints in various parts of the country. In that context, the revival of the Syrian economy, including job creation, is a critical challenge. The war has dealt a severe blow to many sectors of Syrian industry and agriculture and has destroyed homes and infrastructure. There is an acute shortage of construction materials and heavy equipment, which also needs fuel. The education system must be restored, along with the medical field, a source of great pride for the Syrian people before the conflict.
The right thing for all international partners to do would be to help the Syrian recovery efforts and refrain from clinging to artificial political dynamics. It is also long past time to lift the unilateral sanctions, whose primary victims are ordinary Syrians, as the United Nations has shown. I would also like to touch on the issue of humanitarian mine clearance. Our Russian specialists have done tremendous work in sharing their expertise with their Syrian colleagues, and more than 1,200 local sappers have been trained. We spoke about this in detail recently in a special Security Council meeting (see S/PV.8304).
We hope that the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the Syrian Government and the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) will be followed up with concrete, practical and non-politicized measures. In Raqqa alone there is a ton of work to be done, and regrettably, months after the terrorist centre there was wiped out, the socalled coalition has not done enough to make the city it destroyed habitable. We would also like to think that our international partners could help UNMAS through dedicated financing for demining projects in Syria and by providing technical support.
In conclusion, I would like to digress from purely humanitarian issues and point out that thanks to Russian specialists, both sappers and archaeologists, the monuments in Palmyra that the terrorists destroyed, which are part of the heritage of all humankind, are being restored. We expect the specialized international bodies, in particular UNESCO, to show genuine interest in this issue. In a broader sense, it will be important to start talking about Syria’s reintegration into the regional trade and economic system. Unblocking a number of internal roadways and border crossings has to be an important prerequisite for strengthening the traditional links between Syria and its partners in the region.
That is by far the best way to meet the goal of normalizing relations among the States of the Middle East, and Russia is ready to support it in every way. And, of course, stabilization will also help advance the political settlement process under the auspices of the United Nations, which all members of the Security Council unanimously support.
