Delivered By: His Excellency Mohamed Abushahab, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative
UNOFFICAL TRANSLATION
Please Check Against Delivery.
Mr. President,
At the outset, I would like to thank Mr. Geir Pedersen and Ms. Ghada Mudawi for their briefings.
Mr. President,
Over the past 12 years of the crisis, Syria’s territories have been used for political and military theater, which has tragically impacted the lives of the Syrian people. These events have also led to tragic outcomes and exacerbated the humanitarian, economic, social and security conditions.
Although the Council renewed the cross-border mechanism earlier this year to lessen the worsening humanitarian conditions in Syria, a bandage will not heal a deep wound. While these efforts are important, they do not address the underlying causes of the Syrian crisis particularly its long-term impacts. We reiterate the need to stop piecemeal and temporary approaches. We need to move from managing the Syrian crisis to resolving it – this includes turning the page on disputes through intensifying political communication, dialogue, and diplomatic efforts. We reaffirm here the importance of finding Arab solutions for Arab crises to build a better future for the people of the region.
Turning to the political situation, the UAE stresses the importance of supporting the efforts of the Special Envoy for Syria as well as Arab and regional diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the crisis. We also look forward to the upcoming trilateral meeting and we hope that similar efforts and international dialogue regarding Syria will yield meaningful results that are in the interest of the Syrian people and that supports the security and stability in the region.
In the same vein, we reaffirm the importance of overcoming the paralysis that affected the Constitutional Committee in the previous period, as it is the only platform wherein Syrians can constructively engage in a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned national dialogue to move the political process forward without foreign interferences in order to advance on the constitutional path.
Regarding the humanitarian situation, we believe that the unanimous adoption of the resolution to extend the cross-border mechanism, reflects the unity of the Council in putting the needs of the Syrian people before any political considerations. However, we must work to find solutions that respect Syria’s sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity, including through doubling cross-line humanitarian aid – both in terms of frequency and scale, and early recovery projects. In this context, the UAE commends the UN’s efforts to increase crossline deliveries and stresses the importance of intensifying such efforts.
Mr. President,
The UAE expresses its deep concern over the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the camps, especially during the cold and harsh winter at times when the camps lack basic infrastructure. This in turn threatens the lives of millions of people, including women and children. We reiterate here the need to consider long-term solutions to address these conditions and alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people.
In conclusion, Mr. President, we hope that this year will witness additional positive steps towards creating the appropriate conditions to put Syria on the path of security and stability.
Thank you, Mr. President.