Statement by First Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy at a UNSC Briefing on Syria
Madam President,
We are grateful to the UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, Mr. Geir Pedersen, and the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, for their detailed briefings on the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic (SAR). We have also listened attentively to the information provided by Joumana Seif.
We have to state that over the time that has elapsed since last December, the change of power in the SAR, unfortunately, has not spared the people of that country from a great many humanitarian and socio-economic problems, nor from external threats – they not only remain pressing but are even multiplying. The future of this Arab country depends to a large extent on how successfully it will tackle the challenges before it; therefore, the Syrians vitally need comprehensive and depoliticized support from the international community.
The situation in Syria today is characterized by continued economic decline and frequent outbreaks of violence. Information on the number of people in need of assistance, as well as data on food security and health care shows that the country will only be able to return to the path towards sustainable development when a widespread cessation of hostilities is reached and systemic reforms are undertaken. There are no alternatives to that. The Syrian people must finally have the right to live in dignity, peace and well-being.
Mr. President,
We consider extremly disturbing that there are ongoing clahes in Aleppo and the northeast of the country, as they have been claiming lives of people and destroying civilian infrastructure. But what came as a real shock to all of us is the recent outbreak of violence in the coastal areas of Latakia and Tartus, where hundreds, if not thousands of civilians were killed and injured, mostly representatives of Alawite, Christian and other ethnic and religious minorities. This violence has also triggered new forced displacements of civilians, who were sometimes even compelled to leave the territory of Syria. On social networks, we can find a great deal of shocking materials showing the crimes committed against civilians. Of course, the UN Security Council cannot leave all this unattended.
In that regard, we are grateful to all Council members for promptly agreeing on the UNSC presidential statement adopted on Russia-US joint initiative – the document strongly condemns the massacres in Latakia and Tartus, and emphasizes the need for a swift transparent, independent, impartial and comprehensive investigation in line with international standards so as to bring all those responsible to justice.
In this context, we would like to note that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has sent a letter to the Head of the Syrian State, Ahmed al-Sharaa, whereby he expressed his support for the efforts to promptly stabilize the situation in the country in order to ensure its sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity. We hope that the measures undertaken by Damascus will contribute to stabilizing the situation in the region – I'm referring here inter allia to the establishment of a fact-finding and investigative commission for the coastal areas and the establishment of the High Committee for the Protection of Civil Peace. That is an absolute priority when it comes to building a solid foundation for a new Syria where the rights of all ethnic and religious minorities will be safeguarded. We count on receiving relevant information about that from the Syrian authorities, as well as on their close interaction with the Special Envoy when it comes to implementing the provisions contained in the statement by the President of the Security Council.
The humanitarian situation in the coastal areas affected by clashes, particularly in rural areas, remains dire. According to UNICEF, there is an acute shortage of food there, access to vital services is very limited and school attendance remains at a very low level. Many civilians had to flee in search of safety. What we need is not only preventing a further escalation of the crisis, but also ensuring that there is no persecution of ethno-religious minorities who have been always living in these territories.
In the light of the recent events in Latakia and Tartus, we believe it would be reasonable to enhance the work of the United Nations with regard to providing assistance to the people living in the coastal areas, especially given that, as far as we understand, there should be no particular problems with humanitarian access as Damascus continues to show a constructive approach when it comes to interacting with humanitarians. In these circumstances, it might make sense to consider increasing OCHA's presence in Latakia and Tartus, including opening up an additional OCHA’s suboffice there, given that the process of reforming the humanitarian response architecture is under way in SAR. Such measures would make it possible to keep the situation under control, regularly assess the needs of the people and respond to them immediately, including if the situation worsened.
Mr. President,
It was with concern that we were following the recent clashes that took place along the Lebanese-Syrian border, with both sides using artillery and regular army units thereby. We welcome the decision to have a ceasefire, which came out following the telephone conversation between Defense Ministers of Lebanon and Syria. We call on Damascus and Beirut to take all necessary steps to prevent any further incidents on the border and to minimize the risks of their spiraling out of control.
A no less destructive role is played by Israel's ongoing airstrikes on SAR and the continued occupation by West Jerusalem of its territory. We strongly condemn the strikes by the IDF, which in the recent days alone have killed and injured over 20 people in the south of Homs province. We urge West Jerusalem to return to upholding its obligations under the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and to withdraw its units from the buffer zone and other Syrian territories occupied since December 2024. The new Syrian leadership has repeatedly stated that they are willing to build peaceful relations with all neighbors without exception. But through its actions, Israel has put paid to this willingness thus strengthening the voices of radicalized groups within Syria. In the long run, such an approach will hardly strengthen Israeli security.
The terrorist threat also persists in the country. And we call on Damascus to pay special attention to it and prevent ISIL and other terrorist groups from gaining a foothold on Syrian soil. What causes our particular concern is the issue of foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) who have showed up there, including during clashes in the west of the country – decisive measures against them must be undertaken immediately. We note that, on 10 March, a framework agreement was signed in Damascus between Ahmed al-Sharaa and the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, which provides for the return of the area beyond the Euphrates under the control of the central authorities and the integration of Kurdish militarized units into national security architecture. The good faith implementation of these agreements will help strengthen the unity of Syria and build trust among other ethnic and religious minorities in Damascus who hope that their rights will be protected within a new unified Syrian State.
In that regard, we reaffirm that the path to sustainable normalization in Syria lies exclusively through an inclusive inter-Syrian dialogue geared towards national reconciliation and a comprehensive political settlement in accordance with the basic principles set out in Security Council resolution 2254. This process should be carried out through taking well-thought-through, balanced and genuinely inclusive decisions. And these decisions must be met by relevant moves on the part of the international community aimed at improving the economic situation in the country and raising the living standards and quality of life of ordinary Syrians. We are convinced that the UN should play a key role in facilitating the Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process. We express our full support for the relevant efforts undertaken by UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen.
Mr. President,
In his letter to Ahmed al-Sharaa, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed that our country is ready to develop practical interaction with Damascus on the whole range of issues we have on the bilateral agenda so as to strengthen the traditionally friendly relations between our countries. We hope that the Syrian people will finally be able to overcome with dignity all the challenges facing the country. Russia is highly interested in seeing this accomplished.
Thank you.
