I congratulate you, Sir, on your election as President of the General Assembly at its current session, and I thank your predecessor, Mr. Abdulla Shahid, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Maldives, for presiding over the previous session. I also thank the Secretary-General for the efforts he is making pursuant to the mandate entrusted to him by the Charter of the United Nations.
We meet today at a time of sensitive and dangerous situations at the international level. Wars, conflicts and threats to international peace and security are increasing along with terrorism and chaos, while the global economy and food security are at risk and climate change is accelerating. It is noteworthy that all of that comes as a result of the insistence by some States on imposing their hegemony on other States, seizing their resources and wealth and seeking to achieve their own narrow agendas, including by investing in terrorism, imposing economic blockades and using lethal weapons in disregard of all the international laws and norms unanimously agreed on by humankind.
Those States have waged wars and occupied others’ lands on the pretext of spreading democracy and protecting human rights, but in reality they have destroyed countries and killed many innocent people, and what happened in our region is just one example of that. Those States called the terrorists they supported a moderate opposition seeking freedom. Very moderate indeed. The terrorists were just tools to destroy countries that would not submit to the whims of those States and were not subject to their agendas. They called their sanctions “smart”, but in reality they are nothing but tools for killing and collectively punishing the peoples who stand by their countries, their sovereignty and their armies. What they did in Syria in terms of preventing the arrival of food, medicine, heating fuel and other basic necessities of life to the Syrian people is the best evidence of that.
While we are aware of this sad reality, we call for taking the right decision, at this defining and delicate moment in our world history, in a way that will ensure a better present and future for us and future generations and that lays the foundations for building a new, multipolar world order in which everyone works under the umbrella of the purposes and principles of the Charter. Of course, it is understood that we are proceeding in this call based on real experience that cannot be separated from that, because in its broader context the war on Syria was part of the West’s attempts to maintain its control over the world. Although that war has failed to achieve its goals, including breaking Syria’s will and isolating it from its surroundings and the rest of the world, we cannot deny that it has been a bitter and costly experience for us Syrians, who have lived for more than 10 years under the brutality of organized terrorism sponsored by well-known Governments and under the yoke of occupation, illegal military intervention, an inhumane economic blockade and merciless unilateral coercive measures.
At a time when we hoped to achieve peace and stability in our region, we have witnessed an increase in Israel’s practices pushing our region to unprecedented levels of tension and instability, whether by carrying out massacres, escalating military aggression against Palestinian territories and killing civilians, or through a continuation of its policies of settlement, Judaization, siege, arbitrary detention, forced displacement and racial discrimination. Israel’s practices constitute crimes for which impunity will no longer be accepted. Syria affirms once again that it will not retreat from its support for its brother people of Palestine in their struggle to liberate their occupied territories and establish an independent and sovereign State on all their lands, with Jerusalem as its capital. The right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland must be guaranteed, in accordance with international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions. Syria supports Palestine’s decision to obtain its long-awaited full membership in the United Nations, and we urge the Assembly to ensure that that is not obstructed by certain members of the Security Council.
Ever since its occupation of the Syrian Golan in 1967 Israel has continued to commit the most heinous and systematic forms of gross violations of human rights law and international humanitarian law, including building more settlements and changing the demographic composition and institutional structure of the region, especially through attempts to impose Israeli citizenship and ownership documents by force on the people of the Golan, not to mention its looting of Golan’s natural resources, burial of nuclear waste in its ground, seizure of land to erect huge wind turbines, and other documented violations. Israel has added a new chapter to its black record by supporting Da’esh and the Al-Nusra Front. Israel has deliberately and systematically targeted civilian facilities, including civilian seaports and airports, undermining both regional and global peace and security, endangering the lives of civilians and jeopardizing the safety of civil aviation in Syria and the region.
The Israeli leaders who have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians and
Syrians alike have no right to say from international rostrums that they are keen to protect civilians and human rights. Syria notes that continued support or silence vis-a-vis such Israeli practices by certain States that claim to be the guardians of international humanitarian law and international human rights law make them complicit in such crimes, revealing the double standards applied.
Syria will exercise its legitimate right to defend its land and its people by any means necessary so that the Israeli occupation authorities are held accountable for their crimes. It is our right to recover all the occupied Syrian Golan, a territory dear to the hearts of all Syrians, along the 4 June 1967 borders. It is our inalienable right that is not subject to pressures and statute of limitations, guaranteed in accordance with international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions, in particular resolution 497 (1981).
Any illegal military presence on Syrian territories runs counter to international law and the Charter of the United Nations and must cease immediately without preconditions. Combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and ultimately uprooting terrorism can take place only through cooperation and coordination with the Syrian State, with full respect for its sovereignty, independence territorial integrity and unity. Combating terrorism cannot take place through and illegitimate international coalition that violates the sovereignty of States while destroying villages and cities, massacring civilians, plundering national wealth and supporting separatist militias. Combating terrorism cannot take place by occupying other peoples’ territories, implementing forced displacement policies and changing their demographics, nor by setting up so- called safe zones and working with terrorists, nor by collectively punishing civilians by cutting off water supplies.
As for the separatist militias that are still cherishing the illusions of their sponsors, they must be made aware of the realities and abstain from counting on foreign occupiers. Those who do not stand by their homeland have no homeland.
Since the beginning of the 2011 crisis, the Syrian State has called for national and local settlements and reconciliations as a way to return to normalcy throughout Syria, in order to promote national unity and consolidate cohesiveness within Syrian society. To that end, 21 amnesty decrees have been issued, the latest of which was legislative decree 7 of 2022, by President Bashar Al-Assad of the Syrian Arab Republic. That decree grants a general amnesty for crimes of terrorism committed by Syrians, with the exception of fatal crimes, and is especially important owing to its legal, political and social nature. It represents an effort and determination by the Syrian State to ensure national reconciliation, reach social coherence and achieve lasting stability. The Syrian State will continue its efforts on the basis of such an approach, which has been effective on the ground and has enabled many Syrians to return to normal life.
Despite the difficult circumstances that Syria has undergone, my country has honoured its constitutional deadlines. A few days ago, before I came to New York, we held democratic elections for local councils, with 59,000 candidates competing over 8,619 seats, reflecting great popular participation and support for democracy and decentralization in every village, city, district and governorate in Syria.
In parallel, Syria dealt positively with efforts and initiatives under the political process and, in that regard, we reiterate our support for the meetings held according to the Astana format. We also welcome the results of the summit held in Tehran on 19 July, which reaffirmed the commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and unity. It also reaffirmed rejection of separatist plans and the total abolishment of terrorist groups. However, all of that will be unfortunately dead letter if Tiirkiye continues to completely refuse those results, including the provisions of the Astana agreement.
Moreover, Syria is following with interest the work being done by the Constitutional Committee, which was established through the national dialogue held in Sochi, Russian Federation, in 2018. The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria must play his role as a facilitator for intra-Syrian dialogue in that process, which must be Syrian-owned and Syrian-led, in accordance with his mandate.
All Assembly members are aware that, before the terrorist war was launched against us in 2011, Syria was one of the safest, most prosperous and most stable countries in the world. We were self-sufficient and able to meet the basic needs of our people in an exceptional manner in the region, whether in education, health or public services sectors. However, the impacts of that unjust war changed the situation.
We have witnessed an unbearable humanitarian crisis, but what is the reason for it? The answer is quite clear: the primary cause is terrorism, and then the unilateral coercive measures imposed by Western States and the plundering of the wealth of the Syrian people. One such example is that, according to estimates, direct and indirect losses in the oil, gas and mineral sectors in Syria from 2011 to 2022 have reached $107 billion. We are seeking compensation for those losses. Today we need a world of peace, security and stability, not a world of monsters.
The Syrian State is doing everything it can to improve the humanitarian situation on the ground and to rebuild what terrorism has destroyed, including by facilitating the return of Syrian refugees. We are keen to provide the United Nations with all necessary facilities to improve and promote delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need and to implement early recovery projects pursuant to resolution 2642 (2022).
Despite all of our reservations about it, we believe that the resolution may constitute an additional step towards improving the humanitarian situation in Syria and bolstering access to basic services. However, that will depend on the implementation by Western States of the provisions of the resolution, in particular the need to step up humanitarian aid and implement early recovery projects for providing water, electricity, sanitation, health care, education and housing. Resolution 2585 (2021) has proved that those projects can be implemented only if Western States cease to insist on politicizing the humanitarian and development work in Syria and stop placing obstacles and limitations to their implementation, particularly through imposing unilateral coercive measures or so- called economic sanctions.
My country, Syria, reiterates its position on the Russian special military operation in Ukraine and on the Russian Federation’s right to defend itself and secure its national security as a response to the aggressive western policies. We are confident that the Russian Federation is defending not only itself, but also the world, the principles of justice, humanity and the rights of all of us in the world who reject hegemony and unipolarism.
Syria reiterates once again its full support to the position of the Islamic Republic of Iran concerning the return to the nuclear agreement, from which the United States withdrew illegally and unilaterally. We also commend the constructive and responsible approach adopted by Iran on the matter, and we call upon the United States and its western allies to comply with the legitimate Iranian demands.
Syria continues to support the principle of a unified China and the People’s Republic of China’s position with regard to addressing foreign interference in its domestic affairs in Taiwan, Hong Kong or Xinjiang. We insist on China’s inalienable right to take the necessary measures to defend its sovereignty, in particular with regard to the unprecedented escalation and the United States of America’s policy of provocation against China.
Syria condemns the embargo that has been imposed on Cuba for decades, including the extension of the United States Administration of the so-called Trading with the Enemy Act. Who is the enemy? Is it the Cuban people, the Syrian people or the Russian people? They create imaginary enemies. Syria also calls for an end to the military movements and exercises by the United States on the Korean peninsula leading to the escalation of tensions in the region.
Syria calls for the lifting of all unilateral coercive measures imposed by the Western countries on Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Belarus, Nicaragua, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Zimbabwe, Eritrea and all other countries suffering under such measures in the world, including my own country, Syria. Those measures constitute economic terrorism and are no less, in their brutal and dangerous nature, than armed terrorism, both in legal terms and in terms of the inhumane consequences for the peoples targeted. Syria also stresses the need to cease all attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of those countries and to respect their sovereignty in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and international law.
In conclusion, the world has witnessed circumstances that were exceptional by any standard in the past few years. It was subjected to serious challenges in terms of politics, security, economics, health, nutrition and climate change. We are currently facing unprecedented tensions and escalation at the international level that threaten to bring about further risks. Consequently, our world is headed into the unknown if we do not swiftly an immediately address those challenges collectively, thus meeting the aspirations of our peoples and achieving security, stability, prosperity and sustainable development.
The slogan of “no one left behind” should not be an empty one. We are utterly convinced that, in order to realize all of that, we must ensure that some Western States understand that the great Powers are not great only because of their might and military strength, but because they respect the Charter and international law; because they uphold humanitarian principles; and because they abandon self-interests and colonization. Once those States have truly understood that we are living in the same world, they will not prioritize their interests and security over the interests and security of other States.