S/PV.8181 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to participate in this meeting. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite Mr. Staffan de Mistura, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I give the floor to Mr. De Mistura. Mr. De Mistura: I have come to New York to convey to the Security Council in person — although I could have done it by video, as we have many times — the Secretary-General’s grave concern about the escalation of violence in Syria, and to urge the Council to focus on de-escalating that violence and on finding a political path forward for the full implementation of resolution 2254 (2015). We have seen a string of dangerous and worrying escalations, including both inside and outside the de-escalation zones established by the Astana guarantors. There has been a gradual return to back- and-forth competition over territory in ldlib and Hama. We have seen heavy and sustained air strikes across the North-West and in besieged eastern Ghouta, including today. Civilians have been killed on a horrific scale — reports suggest that more than 1,000 have died in the first week of February alone — and strikes have continued to hit hospitals, schools and markets. There have been several allegations of chlorine attacks, in Ghouta and Idlib and now recently also in Afrin. We cannot independently verify those allegations, but such acts, if confirmed, are outrageous and should not go unpunished. In just two months, 320,000 people have been displaced due to fighting in Idlib  — an area that already hosts more than 1.2 million internally displaced persons. Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham — Al-Nusra — is active in Idlib. Meanwhile, there are reports of heavy mortar shelling in residential Damascus, wounding and killing civilians, damaging infrastructure, such as Embassies, and falling close to the hotel in which United Nations personnel reside. The conflict is also spilling over Syria’s borders in more than one direction, and there have been increased military intervention from multiple sources. Over the past several weeks, a new cross-border conflict in Afrin has emerged, with no clear end in sight. There are reports of exchanges of fire between Turkish and Syrian Government forces in Idlib, and between the United States-led coalition and pro-Syrian Government forces in the Euphrates valley, with major loss of life. A Russian aircraft was shot down over northern Syria and its pilot was killed. Last weekend, there were Israeli reports of an Iranian drone entering Israeli airspace, which have been denied by Iran; Israeli jets striking targets inside Syria; an Israeli jet shot down by Syrian Government anti-aircraft fire; and of what Israel calls large-scale strikes against the Syria air defence system and Iranian targets. In short, we see developments that raise questions about the sustainability of the Astana de-escalation arrangements, in which we placed a great deal of hope, and threaten wider regional stability. I have been Special Envoy for Syria for four years now, and this situation is the most violent, worrying and dangerous I have observed during my tenure. I strongly reiterate the Secretary-General’s appeal to all concerned in Syria, the region and beyond to de-escalate immediately and unconditionally, and urge all stakeholders, including the Astana guarantors, to use their influence to help reduce the level of violence. I also urge that continued attention be given to maintaining the Amman de-escalation arrangements in place in the south. Not only are Syrian civilians being killed and displaced in large numbers — even greater than before. They are also being deprived of the humanitarian assistance they need. There has not been a single United Nations humanitarian convoy to any besieged area since 28 November, two and a half months ago. Last week, together with Senior Adviser Jan Egeland, I warned the Humanitarian Task Force of the International Syria Support Group in Geneva of a collective failure to enable effective humanitarian action. At the time, I urged the co-Chairs  — the Russian Federation and the United States — as well as other States to take urgent action to ensure immediate and unfettered humanitarian access to besieged and hard-to-reach areas in particular. A series of urgent consultations are under way in Geneva. Thus far, no concrete results have been reached, except the one convoy I mentioned earlier. We urgently need genuine de-escalation in order to protect civilians, evacuate the sick and wounded — in particular sick children — and allow humanitarian aid to reach the 390,000 people in besieged and hard-to- reach areas. A few minutes ago, we learned that 7,200 people in besieged Nashabiyeh received a partial delivery today. That is encouraging but let us think about it — they account for a mere 2 per cent of the 390,000 people in besieged areas. We need much more sustained humanitarian assistance. We must also never forget  — as underscored by the people in Syria — the need for concrete steps on the release of detainees and abductees, and for the disclosure of information about those who have been missing since March 2011. The United Nations will leave no stone unturned to press the issue, in accordance with resolution 2254 (2015). We also remind the Astana guarantors of their own commitment agreed last December to establish a working group. We urge them to move ahead on this important issue when they meet next. What we are seeing in Syria today not only imperils de-escalation arrangements and regional stability; it also undermines the efforts for a political solution. Yet we will not be deterred from pursuing the Geneva process, which is the only sustainable path towards the solution mandated by the Council. Members will recall that in December 2017, when I briefed the Council (see S/PV.8142), I laid out a number of parameters and observations regarding baskets 2 and 3 of the agenda — the constitutional and electoral baskets. Then, on 25 and 26 January, I convened a special round-9 meeting of the intra-Syrian talks in Vienna, focused specifically on the constitutional basket. After intensive consultations with the Syrian parties and key States, I made a final statement regarding the constitutional committee to be formed, and stressed that the final agreement on the composition, mandate and terms of reference of the constitutional committee must be reached in Geneva. For its part, the Russian Federation, which had invited the Secretary-General, also on behalf of Turkey and Iran, to the National Dialogue Congress in Sochi, affirmed that the outcome in Sochi would be brought to Geneva as a contribution to the United Nations-led intra-Syrian talks, in accordance with resolution 2254 (2015). There were intensive consultations among the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the Secretary- General and myself regarding such an understanding. In Vienna and beyond, I also maintained close consultations with a number of other States at that time. Accordingly, the Secretary-General asked me to attend Sochi. The Congress took place over one day on 30 January. I attended the opening address by Foreign Minister Lavrov, and senior representatives of Turkey, Iran and other States were present. Afterwards, all internationals left the gathering to enable the discussion to proceed among Syrians. Only Russia’s special presidential envoy for Syria, Mr. Lavrientev, remained in the room as host to facilitate the debate, which he accomplished effectively, alongside senior Syrian figures and a presidium of Syrians. I was later officially informed by the hosts that the final statement had been adopted, and was made aware of its content. It has been published on the website of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Arabic, Russian and English, as Foreign Minister Lavrov publicly confirmed yesterday, following his meeting in Moscow with the Belgian Foreign Minister. As the Secretary-General has noted, the final statement embraced a vision of a future in Syria for all Syrians — as reflected in the 12 living intra-Syrian essential principles that came out of the United Nations- led talks in Geneva in November last year. The final statement agreed in Sochi affirmed that a constitutional committee should be formed and stated that it should, at the very least, comprise the Government; opposition representatives in the intra-Syrian talks, facilitated by the United Nations in Geneva; Syrian experts, civil society, independents, tribal leaders and women. The final statement noted that care should be taken to ensure an adequate representation of Syria’s ethnic and religious components. It made clear that the final agreement on the mandate, terms of reference, powers, rules of procedure and selection criteria for the composition of the constitutional committee should be reached in Geneva, and appealed for the assistance of the United Nations Office in Geneva in that regard. Given that important final statement, I joined the closing of the Congress to welcome it and to affirm the United Nations intention to proceed speedily and accordingly so as to assist in finalizing all aspects of a constitutional committee, thereby enabling its establishment in Geneva. Furthermore, I publicly noted to the Congress, as I note to the Security Council today, that the mandate given by the Council to the United Nations in Geneva is to establish a schedule and process for drafting a new Constitution within the framework of resolution 2254 (2015). We have been assured by the Russian Federation that it will endeavour to ensure that the Government of Syria fully supports the official outcome of the Congress in Sochi, at which many Syrian Government officials were present. I also take note that the Syrian negotiations commission — that is the opposition embracing all those components specifically mentioned by name in resolution 2254 (2015)  — has issued a public statement that is generally positive with regard to moving forward on a constitutional committee under the auspices of the United Nations in Geneva. Since the Vienna and Sochi meetings, both of which were important, I have consulted intensively on the establishment of a constitutional committee. I have had initial discussions so far in Geneva with representatives of the Government of Syria, the Syrian negotiations commissions and a number of other Governments. My team remains in touch with a wide array of Syrian women and men, and I continue to look carefully at the candidates for the constitutional committee, which was conceived in Sochi, and other relevant input. I also continue to pursue the convening of further formal intra-Syrian talks to make progress with regard to all four baskets of the political process in Geneva pursuant to resolution 2254 (2015). I am particularly aware of the need to focus, now more than ever, on the establishment of a secure, calm and neutral environment if a constitutional process is to happen and if United Nations-supervised presidential and parliamentary elections are to take place under a new constitution, as envisaged in resolution 2254 (2015). From here, I will be travelling to Munich, God willing, where I will consult with the Secretary-General and join a number of ministers and other senior officials who will be present at the Munich Security Conference. Herewith is the bottom line of my statement. I intend to strike while the iron is hot and move forward the Geneva process, in consultation with all concerned. To do that, I will need all members of the Security Council  — that is, the Council as a whole  — and all those who have influence on the Syrian parties, including the Astana guarantors, among others, to push hard on three main points. First, they must work towards de-escaltion, civilian protection and humanitarian access. Secondly, they must work to support the United Nations in Geneva so that the Sochi final declaration can take effect within the framework of resolution 2254 (2015). Thirdly, they must work to support the United Nations in facilitating the political process for the full implementation of resolution 2254 (2015), in particular with regard to advancing real issues in the basket to promote a safe, calm and neutral environment. The Syrian people and the United Nations need the Security Council’s support now more than ever.

I thank Mr. De Mistura for his briefing. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements.

I thank Staffan de Mistura for his briefing and all his efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Syria. The United States fully supports his initiative to bring the parties back to Geneva and begin work on a new constitutional committee in accordance with resolution 2254 (2015), but we are not going to bring about peace as the situation on the ground continues to escalate with dire risks for the security of the entire region. Earlier this week, Iranian-backed militias in southern Syria launched a drone into Israeli territory. It was an egregious and unprompted escalation. Iran was once again doing what it does: risking conflict and testing the will of its neighbours and opponents to resist its aggression. Israel rightly took action to defend itself. The United States will always stand by its ally when confronted by provocations from Iran, Hizbullah or the Al-Assad regime, but that incident shines a spotlight on the reality in Syria today. We are seeing actors engage in a dangerous game of pushing boundaries instead of behaving responsibly and committing to peace. Last week, pro-regime forces launched an unprovoked attack against the Syrian Democratic Forces and advisors from the coalition to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham. This was a large attack involving numerous tanks, artillery and fighters. The coalition acted in self-defence to repel the attack, and the United States will always reserve the right to act in self-defence. But the attack showed the recklessness of pro-regime fighters. Parties on the ground need to adhere to all established deconfliction mechanisms, and ensure that nothing like that ever happens again. The Al-Assad regime has become a front for Iran, Hizbullah and their allies to advance their irresponsible and dangerous agenda for the Middle East. On every front of the conflict, we find fighters imported by Iran from Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan. When we see the Al-Assad regime starving civilians in eastern Ghouta or pummelling schools and hospitals in Idlib, we see advisors from Iran and Hizbullah helping direct those atrocities. That support for the Al-Assad regime, of course, is not new, but the drone flight this week was a wake-up call for all of us. Iran and Hizbullah are making plans to stay in Syria. When we look out across the Middle East, we know one thing for certain: when Iran and Hizbullah move in, instability always follows. Therefore, when we talk about peace in Syria, we need to face the reality of what is happening on the ground. Peace is urgently needed in Syria. All of us on the Security Council know that, but we cannot offer support for peace, on the one hand, and ignore the fact that the chief sponsor of terrorism in the Middle East and its terrorist militia are digging in, on the other. Even as we talk about peace at the United Nations, the fighting is getting worse. Much of the violence is happening in so called de-escalation zones. Russia was supposed to guarantee adherence to those de-escalation zones in order to help the political process, but, then again, Russia was also supposed to guarantee the removal of all chemical weapons from Syria. Instead, we see the Al-Assad regime continues to bomb, starve and — yes — gas civilians. All of us on the Council know what it will take to get to peace in Syria. More than two years ago, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2254 (2015), which includes a framework for ending the war. The United States is committed to seeing the full implementation of resolution 2254 (2015), which President Trump and President Putin also reaffirmed when they met in Viet Nam in November 2017. We also know how peace talks need to happen. There is no doubt that Geneva and the United Nations-led political process are the sole, legitimate venue for coming up with a political solution in Syria. Special Envoy De Mistura has talked about setting up a constitutional committee, and he must be fully empowered to do so. No party should have a veto over the United Nations decisions about the composition of the constitutional committee, but it is hard to see how a peace process will work while the Al-Assad regime continues to launch all-out attacks against the Syrian people and Iran and Hizbullah are entrenching themselves within the country. Ultimately, we must recognize that the Al-Assad regime does not want peace unless it is peace on its terms — a peace in which every person in Syria who opposes the regime is murdered, tortured, starved, imprisoned or forced to flee the country. If the Geneva process is going to work, therefore, we need to see a change. As one of Al-Assad’s key backers, Russia can change that behaviour. It can push the regime to commit to seeking a real peace in Syria — a peace that helps the Syrian people, a peace that helps ensure the region’s security. Now is the time for Russia to use that leverage. The road to peace will come when all of the parties stop provoking each other and choose the responsible path. That path is clear: follow resolution 2254 (2015), support Geneva and, most of all, push the Al-Assad regime to do what it plainly does not want to do. If we rally around those goals, we will achieve real peace in Syria.

We thank Mr. De Mistura for his briefing. It was very interesting to hear his assessment of the results of the Syrian National Dialogue Congress, held in Sochi on 29 and 30 January. His participation on behalf of the United Nations lent the event particular significance. The Congress was a success, and one more important step was taken towards the restoration of peace and stability in Syria. A genuine prospect has emerged for revitalizing a peaceful intra-Syrian dialogue. For the first time, we were able to bring together in one hall more than 1,500 representatives of the majority of domestic forces and from many members of external opposition forces. While we saw no individual leaders from the Riyadh opposition negotiation group in Sochi, a third of its members attended in a personal capacity. This unprecedented representation attests to the understanding established by the Security Council that Syrians themselves must determine their country’s future, with no diktats from outside. The Congress participants affirmed their commitment to a settlement under the auspices of the United Nations on the basis of resolution 2254 (2015) and took concrete decisions. The final statement includes 12 principles for the future Government structuring of a renewed Syria, formulated under United Nations mediation. The Syrians agreed to establish a constitutional committee and called on the Secretary-General to instruct Mr. De Mistura to assist in organizing the work of preparation for constitutional reform and on a definitive agreement about the committee’s composition and powers. We hope that this will be conducted transparently and that the United Nations mediation will make the most effective use possible of the understanding reached by the Syrian participants in Sochi. However, one thing is clear, and is the premise we proceed from, which is that the decisions on every issue related to the Government’s structure, including the constitutional basket, will be made by the Syrians themselves, without any external pressure or any principles or plans drafted on their behalf or in their place. The Congress also adopted a request to the international community from the Syrians for help in ending the crisis and rebuilding Syria’s economy. Russia will continue to support the intra-Syrian talks in Geneva. We regret the position taken by some countries in dissuading some members of the Syrian opposition from going to Sochi. This small group is continuing its less than constructive activities by putting out documents in a narrow platform anticipating the outcomes of the Geneva discussions on Syria’s future political arrangements, which does not accord with resolution 2254 (2015). The 12 principles that I referred to represent the sole basis for discussions of constitutional reform issues, as agreed on by the Syrians in Geneva, approved in Sochi and affirmed in the Congress’s final statement, which we are circulating today as an official Security Council document. The most fundamental of the principles remain respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Syria, non-interference in its domestic affairs, and the Syrian people’s right to independently determine their future. We are frankly disturbed by the disrespectful attitude of some international and regional stakeholders to the issue of Syrian sovereignty, of which there have recently been some extremely worrying manifestations. It is important to understand that this will not help to normalize the situation in Syria or the region as a whole, and that it exacerbates the conflict and makes the prospects for a political settlement less likely. At the same time, passions have also become inflamed over the humanitarian and chemical aspects of the Syrian issue, as was particularly noticeable against the backdrop of the success of the Sochi Congress. As usual, there are powerful disinformation resources behind this. Just today we heard unfounded new allegations against Syria and Russia from the United States delegation. There is always some demand being made of Russia. We are not going to demand anything, but we would like to ask our United States partners and the other Coalition partners who can influence opposition members to persuade them to ensure cease hostilities and refrain from provoking further escalation. By the way, we have a different view of the incident that occurred in eastern Syria between Coalition and pro-Government forces. It was an unprovoked attack. We already said during consultations that the humanitarian situation in Syria has different features and causes in different areas. The reasons for each are different and the approach to each of them should be differentiated. I am not even going to bother discussing the unproven allegations accusing Damascus of using chemical weapons. I would like not to believe that there are still forces that want to torpedo the progress towards a political settlement for the sake of dubious geopolitical advantage. I think that Mr. De Mistura will agree with us that what both the Syrian people and the United Nations mediators need now is concerted support. Any retreat from that would have unpleasant consequences.

I would first like to commend the efforts of the United Nations, and particularly those of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, who has just provided us with a detailed description of current events in Syria. His briefing was very alarming and worrying — 1,000 civilians killed in the space of a week, 1,200 internally displaced persons and the shelling of residential areas in Damascus are indeed issues of great concern. The worsening violence is not only disturbing for millions of Syrian citizens, with its numerous casualties and massive displacement, it is also undermining our shared political and humanitarian commitment. The situation in Syria is deteriorating rapidly, with civilians suffering the impact of the political crisis, and in this chaotic scenario we are likely to be facing yet another major humanitarian disaster. The Republic of Equatorial Guinea underscores the need for the parties to the conflict to strictly comply with the obligations incumbent upon them under international law. Actions by parties at the national and international levels should always be carried out within the framework of Security Council resolutions. In that regard, resolution 2254 (2015) urges the belligerents to adopt measures that promote the re-establishment of lasting peace. The actions of the warring parties that prevent access to humanitarian aid constitute a clear violation of the rules of international law. In the case of a non-international armed conflict, impeding humanitarian assistance violates human dignity, according to the parameters of Common Article 3 to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and to Protocol Additional II, of 8 June 1977. It should be noted that the attack on humanitarian assistance personnel, facilities, materials, units or vehicles is considered a war crime pursuant to the Rome Statute, both in the context of international and non-international armed conflicts. Likewise, we join the request made by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities in order to guarantee the provision of humanitarian assistance in Afrin, Raqqa, Idlib, eastern Ghouta, Fo’ah, Kefriya and the Rukban camp — areas besieged by armed groups and where the level of violence is critical. The Republic of Equatorial Guinea always advocates a negotiated solution to problems, however complex the situation. In order to achieve the desired political agreement, direct, frank and inclusive negotiations are an inevitable step, which is what Equatorial Guinea advocates. For that reason, our Government welcomes the holding of peace talks in Vienna on the Syrian issue and is glad that, for the first time since the beginning of the conflict in 2011, 1,500 Syrian representatives from all backgrounds, creeds and almost all political views came together under the framework of the Syrian National Dialogue Congress held in Sochi at the end of last month. Although criticized by some countries, the Sochi conference was unique in being driven, reshaped and framed by the United Nations. The participation in that intra-Syrian meeting by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General in Syria, Mr. De Mistura, gave way to the creation of a constitutional committee. Efforts must now be made to ensure the effective functioning of that committee. Equatorial Guinea congratulates the participants for their efforts to engage in dialogue through direct and inclusive negotiations and hopes that the decisions taken in Sochi will lend new impetus to the United-Nations sponsored negotiations in Genevaon the political and humanitarian situation in Syria. Despite all of those efforts, it is entirely necessary to drain the country of all terrorist activity. That must be a priority for the international community, given that the presence of terrorists significantly hinders the possibility of reaching a peaceful and definitive solution to the Syrian issue.

We welcome the convening of this informative meeting ,and we thank Mr. De Mistura for his complete briefing. We acknowledge his intense and always prudent work, and we express our commitment to positively contribute to the success of his efforts. We would like to begin by expressing our deep concern about the new and recent actions by regional actors and about the escalation of the conflict in Syria. It constitutes an additional threat to peace and security in the Middle East and should lead us to reiterate the need to end the conflict. It is especially necessary to end the suffering experienced by the Syrian people, as well as the grave and ongoing violations of international law and international humanitarian law, including the use of chemical weapons. First, against that backdrop, it is now more urgent than ever to move the political process forward. The 2012 Geneva communiqué (S/2012/522, annex) and resolution 2254 (2015) should continue to guide our efforts; there is no military solution to the conflict. In that regard, we welcome the fact that the parties focused on substantive aspects during their recent conversations, including the holding of United Nations- supervised elections and the constitutional issue. However, we must express our concern about the lack of tangible results following the eighth and ninth rounds of negotiations held in Geneva and Vienna in December and January, respectively. We believe it is necessary for the parties involved to work constructively in determining the mandate of a constitutional committee, including its terms of reference, selection criteria and other related matters. In that regard, we would like to especially highlight the efforts of Mr. De Mistura to launch, as soon as possible, the constitutional committee agreed to in Sochi. We would also like to underscore the importance that initiatives, such as the one in Sochi, are always complementary to the Geneva talks process, as Mr. De Mistura also indicated today. Secondly, there is also a need to address the root causes of the conflict. To that end, the solution to the conflict must be comprehensive and allow for the presence of the State in all areas of the country to ensure security, safeguard human rights and promote sustainable development for the entire Syrian population. It is also necessary to promote increased participation by women and young people and to strengthen civil society organizations, especially in the drafting of a new constitution. Indubitably, the Syrians themselves bear the primary responsibility for arriving at a solution to the problem. However, the international community and the Security Council have a moral responsibility to end that tragedy, and for that reason we must be united in lending our full support and active engagement to Mr. De Mistura in the successful discharge of his duties.

I would like to begin by thanking Special Envoy De Mistura for his briefing. I am very glad to see him in New York. China commends and will continue to support Mr. De Mistura’s efforts to promote the political process in Syria. Recently, positive momentum has emerged in the quest for a political solution to the Syrian issue. Major progress has been made at the Syrian National Dialogue Congress meeting held in Sochi. The meeting has played a positive role in advancing the political process in Syria, and provided new impetus for the resumption of the talks in Geneva. China commends the Russian Federation and other countries for their efforts to hold that dialogue. We support the United Nations in its work as the main channel of mediation for a political solution to the question of Syria. A political settlement remains the only way forward on the Syrian issue. The international community should support the Geneva peace talks in making substantive progress at an early date, as well as the Astana dialogue in steadily consolidating the momentum for a ceasefire in Syria, thereby pushing all parties in Syria back to the negotiating table through a Syrian-led and Syrian- owned approach to reach a solution that is acceptable to all parties — one that accommodates all concerns. During that process, the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria should be upheld and respected. Fighting terrorism is a major aspect in finding a solution to the Syrian issue. The international community should step up counter-terrorism efforts in collaboration, uphold uniform standards and resolutely combat all terrorist organizations designated as such by the Security Council. China has been striving to play a positive and constructive role in bolstering the quest for a political solution to this issue. China’s special envoy for Syria, Mr. Xie Xiaoyan, attended the most recent round of Geneva talks as part of the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi, holding extensive communication with all parties with a view to promoting reconciliation and facilitating dialogue. Recently, there have been outbreaks of conflict in many parts of Syria, about which China is gravely concerned. China follows closely the humanitarian situation and the refugee issue in Syria. We are ready to continue providing assistance to the greatest extent possible. We stand ready to work with the international community in pushing for an early, comprehensive, just and appropriate solution to the Syrian issue.

Côte d’Ivoire would like to thank Mr. Staffan de Mistura, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General, for the quality of his briefing on developments in the political process in Syria. It must be acknowledged that the situation is becoming increasingly alarming and of concern on the military and humanitarian fronts. My delegation also congratulates him on his tireless efforts for political dialogue among the Syrian parties in order to find a lasting solution to the protracted crisis in the country. Côte d’Ivoire welcomes the holding of intra-Syrian peace talks in Vienna on 25 and 26 January as part of the political dialogue of the Geneva process. Likewise, we encourage the various initiatives that have been undertaken, in particular in Sochi, Russian Federation, with a view to calming and definitively resolving the crisis in Syria in accordance with the provisions of resolution 2254 (2015). My delegation regrets the fact that, despite the declared will of the various stakeholders, the most recent initiatives in the context of the political dialogue among the Syrian parties have not led to any significant progress on the ground. On the contrary, we have for some time been witnessing a military escalation and an upsurge in violence, which, if left unchecked, may lead to a spillover of the conflict. My delegation would therefore like to call for a ceasefire and an immediate de-escalation of the conflict in Syria at the risk of witnessing a greater humanitarian catastrophe. We once again thank the United Nations for its ongoing efforts to protect and to provide humanitarian assistance to the besieged people of Syria. In particular, my delegation would like to extend its support to the draft resolution initiated by Kuwait and Sweden to put in place a 30-day ceasefire in Syria, which would allow the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to the populations in distress. In the light of the tragic situation in Syria, we call on the members of the Security Council to show flexibility in order to reach a compromise that will allow the safe delivery of humanitarian aid so as to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people. In order to prevent a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation, my country urges the parties to the conflict to work together towards a lasting political solution, in accordance with resolution 2254 (2015), which is the only way to end the violence and tragedy being experienced by the Syrian people.

My delegation would like to thank Mr. Staffan de Mistura for his briefing. We acknowledge the complexity of his mandate and we would like to once again assure him of our full support for his work. Since Bolivia assumed its seat as an elected member of the Security Council, we have of course shown our support for the various meetings held in different contexts and at various levels. Each of those meetings provided an opportunity for the establishment of de-escalation zones, a cessation of hostilities and the provision of humanitarian access. For example, the work done in Astana, the meetings in Moscow, Cairo and Riyadh and the agreements on de-escalation zones between Jordan, the United States and Russia and between Russia, Iran and Turkey are signs of progress. Clearly, our primary concern remains the urgent need to make progress in a political process that allows for a resolution of the conflict in Syria so that the population can regain peace. We believe that there has been a significant step forward. My delegation wishes to highlight the commitments made at the Syrian National Dialogue Congress, held in Sochi on 30 January, since those commitments focus on strengthening the political process led by the United Nations in the context of resolution 2254 (2015), particularly through the drafting of a new constitution by a constitutional committee. We commend and acknowledge the efforts of the Russian Federation in that regard. We also highlight the principles agreed at the Congress to strengthen the political process. Such principles would be directly linked to the commitment of the parties to respect the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria in the context of its right to choose its own political, economic and social system without pressure or external interference, as well as to unify their armed forces in order to defend and ensure the rule of law and respect for the rights of their population and to combat the threat of terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism. A clear sign of the readiness to encourage that process is the establishment of the constitutional committee, composed of a delegation of the Syrian Government and a diverse delegation of the opposition, broadly represented by civil society, women and tribal, ethnic and religious leaders. Together, they cover and represent in an inclusive way most sectors of Syrian society in order to debate the drafting of constitutional reform. We emphasize that part of that agreement has provided that the mandate, the terms of reference, powers, the rules of procedure and the selection criteria for the composition of the constitutional committee should be arrived at through talks conducted by the United Nations in Geneva. We believe that that is a significant step in the political process, and the results of the meetings held in Vienna and Sochi make it possible for us to acknowledge it as such. However, we regret the fact that the critical situation that the Syrian people are still experiencing with the latest escalation of tensions in recent weeks shows us that there is still a long way to go. In that regard, we echo the words of the Secretary-General when he said: “We must never forget that progress towards a political settlement needs to be accompanied by progress on the ground.” The Security Council now has the challenge of urgently calling on the parties involved to unite their efforts and to continue the momentum provided by the political process in order to promote dialogue and consensus that facilitate common ground so as to reduce the violence and allow the humanitarian access that is so greatly needed at this time. For that, the willingness of the parties is essential to finding a way out of the conflict, which, as we know, has continued for more than seven years. Finally, we reiterate that the only option for resolving the conflict is through an inclusive, negotiated and agreed political process, led by and for the Syrian people, that allows a peaceful solution among all parties.

I now give the floor to the representative of the Syrian Arab Republic.

I now invite Council members to informal consultations to continue our discussion on the subject.