S/PV.9826 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2024/942, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by the Russian Federation and the United States of America. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2024/875, which contains the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force. The Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now.

The draft resolution received 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2766 (2024). I shall now give the floor to those Council members who wish to make statements after the voting.

I would like to express my gratitude to the Russian Federation and to the United States for their efforts as co-penholders on the resolution we have just adopted (resolution 2766 (2024)). Their work has enabled us to unanimously renew the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which comes at a critical juncture for Syria and for the entire region. In that regard, I wish to highlight the following points. First, the resolution underscores that “there should be no military forces, military equipment, or personnel in the area of separation other than those of UNDOF”. Therefore, the actual presence of Israeli forces in the area is illegal and constitutes a flagrant violation of the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement between Israeli and Syrian Forces and relevant Security Council resolutions. Secondly, the resolution stresses that “both parties must abide by the terms of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement” “and scrupulously observe the ceasefire”. The 1974 Agreement stipulates that the parties: “will scrupulously observe the cease-fire on land, sea and air, and will refrain from all military actions against each other, from the time of the signing of this document, in implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 338 dated 22 October 1973”. Therefore, the Israeli attacks on both civilian and military infrastructure in Syria, as well as its incursion into Syrian territory and the occupation of new territory, are clear violations of the Agreement and of the relevant Security Council resolutions. Earlier today, a demonstration took place in Dar‘a governorate to protest the presence of Israeli forces within Syrian territory and demand their withdrawal. The protest was met with violence, as Israeli soldiers opened fire, injuring a young man. To those who still doubt that we are witnessing the occupation of new territories in Syria, I would ask what their stance is on that. Those acts are neither defensive nor justified. They constitute an aggression against a United Nations Member State and merit our firm condemnation. Thirdly, the resolution we just adopted calls upon the parties concerned to implement immediately resolution 338 (1973). Let me recall that resolution 338 (1973) calls for the immediate implementation of resolution 242 (1967) in all its parts. Resolution 242 (1967) explicitly calls for the withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in 1967. Therefore, Israel’s presence in the Golan Heights constitutes an occupation. Algeria reaffirms its steadfast position that the Golan Heights is an occupied Syrian territory. Furthermore, Algeria reiterates its full support for UNDOF and its peace peacekeepers, whose safety and security must be ensured by all parties. We also extend our congratulations to Major General Anita Asmah on her appointment as Head of Mission and Force Commander of UNDOF and assure her of our full support. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that the fragile situation in Syria demands our collective solidarity and support. The international community must set aside its rivalries and competition to avert a catastrophic scenario in Syria and the broader region. We must work together constructively to assist the Syrian people in preserving their country’s independence, unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity and establishing new institutions for a brighter and democratic future for Syria.