Statement by Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Chumakov at an informal Arria-formula Meeting on Transitional Justice and Missing Persons in Syria
Madam President,
The issue of missing persons in the Syrian Arab Republic remains one of the most pressing items on the global humanitarian agenda. It calls for a frank and, above all, depoliticized dialogue, since behind the bare figures and reports lie thousands of personal tragedies.
Madam President,
The Russian Federation has always prioritized alleviating the suffering of the friendly Syrian people and fostering conditions for their development and prosperity. In this regard, we consider it critically important to consolidate international support for strengthening the national capacities of this Arab country.
The prompt establishment by the authorities in Damascus last May of two national commissions – the National Commission for the Missing and the National Commission for Transitional Justice – clearly demonstrates their full understanding of the acute issues confronting the State today. The challenge lies not in any lack of foresight on their part, but rather in the shortage of resources needed to resolve long-standing problems in an unstable domestic environment. We welcome the participation of the chairs of both commissions in today's meeting.
Against this backdrop, we do not share the view that solutions can be found through forcing Damascus to cooperate with external actors, including some allegedly independent special mechanisms, whose legitimacy is, at best, questionable.
Instead, States offering advice are recommended to focus on practical contributions they themselves could make toward stabilizing the situation. For example, they could stop using Syria as an arena for geopolitical rivalry and political score settling. We believe that our shared responsibility in the Middle East and beyond is to avoid actions that could trigger another round of escalation in Syria.
Madam President,
We fully support the commitment expressed by the current authorities in Damascus to ensuring the rights of citizens regardless of their national or religious affiliation. We see that this approach reflected in the measures being taken by the Syrian leadership to reintegrate the northeastern region.
At the same time, we continue to receive reports indicating that the problem of interethnic and interreligious tensions in the country has not yet been fully addressed and that clashes on these grounds still occur in certain regions.
Besides these tensions, there are other problems: the persistent activity of terrorist cells, whose members engage in abductions and extrajudicial killings, the widespread contamination by landmines and unexploded ordnance, which causes people’s deaths in rugged terrain with their bodies remaining undiscovered for years, etc. These and other factors contribute to the fact that the issue of missing persons has not yet become a thing of the past. Therefore, it is essential to focus on addressing the root causes of the problem rather than merely dealing with the consequences thereof.
For this reason, it is essential that the process of rebuilding the State and its institutions launched by the Syrian leadership is implemented with due regard for the interests of all ethnic and religious groups in Syrian society. Otherwise, no future political and social model will prove sustainable or viable.
We stand convinced that there is no alternative to establishing a genuinely inclusive political process based on the key provisions of Security Council Resolution 2254. Lasting and genuine peace in Syria can only be achieved through an equal and inclusive Syrian-led and Syrian-owned dialogue that takes into account the interests of all segments of Syrian society.
Thank you.
