I would like to congratulate you, Sir, and your
friendly country, Uganda, on your election as President
of the General Assembly at its current session and to
wish you success in leading the work of the session,
bearing in mind the important and neutral role of the
President of the General Assembly. I would also like to
thank your predecessor, Mr. John Ashe, for his efforts.
Many events and significant changes have taken
place since I stood here last year (see A/68/PV.21). Those
events have surprised many of the countries represented
here today, but they did not surprise us, since we have
been warning the international community about
trends leading towards the current situation for the past
three and a half years. Speeches from this rostrum have
focused on the economic and political crises that we
have been waiting for the international community to
resolve. However, talking about such issues is no longer
a priority.
What we have been witnessing for a few months is
much more dangerous than all the political and economic
crises that have been happening in the world. More than
once and from more than one international platform, we
have talked about the grave threat of terrorism that is
striking Syria. We said that such terrorism would not be
limited to the territory of my country, since terrorism
has no boundaries. Extremist ideologies acknowledge
only themselves and do not recognize anything but
slaughter, murder and torture. Today we are witnessing
what the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the
most dangerous terrorist organization in the entire world
in terms of its unprecedented funding and brutality, is
doing to Syrians and Iraqis of all stripes and religions.
That terrorist organization is enslaving women, raping
them and selling them in slave markets. It decapitates
and cuts off limbs, teaches children to slaughter and
murder and destroys historical and cultural monuments,
as well as Islamic and Christian symbols.
All that is happening before the eyes of the entire
world and countries that have vowed always to fight
terrorism, even though they themselves have not
experienced the scourge of terror. Today I stand here
to ask the following. Is it not time for all of us to stand
united in the face of the serious threat of terrorist takfiri
ideology worldwide? Has the time not come for all of us
to admit that ISIL, the Nusra Front and other Al-Qaida
affiliates will not remain within the borders of Syria and
Iraq but will spread to every place that they can reach,
starting with Europe and America? Should we not learn
the lesson of what happened in previous years and unite
all international efforts so as to deal with those groups?
Those organizations have rallied extremists from all
corners of the Earth and brought them to one place to
train and arm them. They then spread their ideology
and terrorism through those extremists back to where
they came from.
Some people may say that a resolution was recently
adopted unanimously under Chapter VII of the Charter
of the United Nations in order to prevent the expansion
of that organization and other terrorist groups and to
eradicate them. It is true that it is better to arrive late
than never. The resolution, adopted on 15 August, in
fact came too late. However, the issue here is whether
everyone is serious about its implementation, as we
have not yet seen any serious steps to implement it.
Furthermore, we have not seen any real sense of fear
among the regional States that continue to provide all
kinds of support to those terrorist groups, not enough
fear to cause them to work for the implementation of
the resolution. On the contrary, what we see on the
part of the United States Administration is a policy of
double standards and alliances in order to carry out
certain political agendas, in particular by supporting
with money, weapons and training groups that they call
moderate.
That will lead only to more violence and terrorism,
the shedding of more Syrian blood, a protracted Syrian
crisis and the prevention of any political solution.
Such behaviour creates fertile ground for the growth
of terrorist groups that are committing the most
heinous crimes on Syrian territory. That requires all
of us to seriously and effectively address and eradicate
terrorism in order to restore security and stability in
Syria and the region. Today, enslaved women look to
us to see what we will do for them, their sisters and
their children. The sons and daughters of the victims
beheaded by ISIL await our action and our response in
the face of the atrocities that are being committed daily
by that terrorist organization, the Nusra Front and other
groups.
Combating terrorism cannot be achieved through
unimplemented United Nations resolutions. Intentions
are meaningless. We can fight terrorism through
the real implementation of resolutions or, clearly, by
means of military strikes. But, most importantly, it
can be achieved by preventing States from arming,
supporting, training, funding and smuggling those
terrorist groups. We must also deprive terrorism of its
resources. Striking terrorism militarily while some
States continue to support terrorist groups will create a
vicious cycle from which the international community
will not escape for decades.
Military strikes should take place at the same time as
the implementation of Security Council resolution 2178
(2014), adopted on 24 September under Chapter VII.
We must also put pressure on countries that provide
multifaceted support to such terrorist groups. Those
countries are well known to us all. The most important
issue is to put pressure on those countries that have
exported and continue to export extremist Takfiri
ideology, thereby seriously jeopardizing international
peace and security. ISIL is an ideology transformed into
an organization that is supported, armed and trained
to be unleashed against Syria, Iraq and Lebanon like a
monster.
Let us together put an end to that ideology and
its exporters. Let us simultaneously put pressure on
the countries that have joined the coalition led by the
United States so as to put an end to their support of
armed terrorist groups. Only then does combating
terrorism militarily become viable. Otherwise, our
presence there will not measure up to the tears of the
captives, enslaved women and children who have fallen
victim to Daesh, the Nusrah Front and other groups.
Once again, the Syrian Arab Republic reiterates
that it stands with any international effort to combat
terrorism. We stress that that must be done with full
respect for the lives of innocent civilians and for
national sovereignty, in conformity with international
agreements. At the same time, the Syrian Arab
Republic would like to thank all countries that have
stood firm and rejected any prejudice to the sovereignty
of other States, underscoring respect for international
resolutions.
It is high time to unite all our efforts against
such terrorism, since everyone is surrounded by the
imminent threat and no country is immune to it. My
country maintains its declared position of the 1980s
with regard to fighting terrorism before it becomes
rampant, as is currently happening.
In Syria we respect our commitments and honour
our promises and pledges. We have confirmed that
position on more than one occasion, particularly since
the beginning of the Syrian crisis.
Syria agreed unconditionally to attend the Geneva II
Conference on Syria and participated in its deliberations
with an open mind, although we were convinced that
the solution to the crisis should be Syrian-owned and
take place on Syrian territory. However, as a goodwill
gesture, in order to put an end to the shedding of Syrian
blood, we went to Geneva, only to find a delegation that
was not negotiating on behalf of Syrians.
First, that delegation has no influence whatsoever
on the ground in Syria and has neither popularity nor
legitimacy among the Syrian people. The delegation
was negotiating with the Syrian Government while
following the orders of its Western masters. It does
not believe in combating or contronting terrorism.
Furthermore, that delegation does not respect Syria’s
sovereignty and territorial integrity. and it verbally
refuses to ask terrorist groups to stop their terrorist acts.
We know that that opposition and delegation would not
be able to pressure anyone, either armed groups or any
Syrian faction on the ground.
We went to Geneva with the priority of combating
terrorism, since we believed, and continue to believe,
that we cannot embark on any political solution while
terrorism is still rampant in Syria. Some in Geneva
opposed our acknowledging the fight against terrorism
as a priority, although it is a paramount part of the
provisions of the Geneva declaration. However, the
delegation of the so-called coalition continued to reject
any proposal to tackle or to condemn terrorism.
Now we see the entire international community
adopting our view that fighting terrorism is the top
priority and that nothing whatsoever can be done as
long as terrorism brutally strikes everything in its way
and terrorists return to countries from which they came.
Once again, we emphasize that we are ready for, and
even actively seek, a political solution in Syria and talks
with all honourable opposition members who oppose
terrorism in Syria and among Syrians themselves on
Syrian territory.
Everyone assumed their responsibility in the
presidential elections, which took place before the eyes
of the world. The will of the Syrian people is greater
than that of all those who have tried to suppress it for
more than three years now. That was demonstrated
when the entire world heard the voice of the Syrian
people both inside Syria and beyond.
Now, after the presidential elections, we would
like to tell all those who desire and look forward
to a political solution in Syria that they must first
respect the Syrian people’s will, which was expressed
explicitly, clearly, firmly and loudly. For the first time
in Syria’s modern history, they chose their President
in multiparty elections, with international monitors
from several countries who witnessed the integrity and
transparency of the elections, as well as the enthusiasm
of the people to participate in them.
I would like to emphasize that the Syrian people
have made their choice. Those who want to speak on
behalf of the people must first be representatives of the
people and, secondly, must respect the people’s will
and their decisions. Any dialogue must therefore be
based on respect for the will of the Syrian people and
their decisions. Accordingly, we are open to a political
solution in Syria with a genuine opposition that seeks
the prosperity, stability and security of Syria — an
opposition that does not depend on external elements
and speak on their behalf, an opposition that has an
impact in Syrian territory and has deep roots inside
Syria, not in hotels and Western capitals. It must be
a national opposition that upholds fighting terrorism
as its priority and encourages the ongoing national
reconciliation efforts, paving the way for a successful
political solution.
Humanitarian needs in many basic areas have
increased because of the continuing terrorist attacks in
Syria. The inhumane sanctions imposed by the European
Union and the United States have exacerbated the poor
living conditions of Syrian civilians. At the same time,
my Government is striving to meet the basic needs of
our citizens, in particular those forced by terrorist acts
to flee their homes. We are doing that in cooperation
with the United Nations and its humanitarian agencies,
in the context of the humanitarian response plans
agreed by those bodies with the Syrian Government.
We should note that a great number of our people
have been forced to seek refuge in neighbouring
countries. Regrettably, some of those countries put
displaced Syrians in military training camps resembling
places of detention in order to train them to take up
arms. From this rostrum, I underscore the fact that the
Syrian State guarantees for those citizens who wish it
a safe return and a decent life, free from the inhumane
conditions that they suffer in those camps. I affirm
Syria’s readiness to make every effort to deliver aid
from international organizations to all Syrian citizens,
without any discrimination whatsoever and wherever
they are, in the context of respect for our national
sovereignty.
The Syrian Arab Republic confirms its resolve with
regard to the full restoration of the occupied Syrian
Golan up to the line of 4 June 1967. It also emphasizes
its rejection of all actions taken by Israel, the occupying
Power, to change the natural, geographical and
demographic characteristics of the Golan, in clear
violation of the relevant Security Council resolutions,
in particular resolutions 497 (1981) and 465 (1980).
Syria also affirms that the Palestinian question is
the central issue for the Syrian people, who support
the inalienable and legitimate rights of the brotherly
Palestinian people, particularly their right to return,
to self-determination and to establish an independent
State on their land, with Jerusalem as the capital.
Last September, Syria accepted the initiative of the
President of the Russian Federation, His Excellency
Mr. Vladimir Putin, and acceded to the Chemical
Weapons Convention on the basis of the need to render
the Middle East a zone free of nuclear weapons and
all weapons of mass destruction. We also wanted to
prove to the whole world our commitment to stand firm
against any use of chemical weapons. Syria has met its
obligations pursuant to its accession to the Convention
and has fulfilled its commitments despite the current
difficult situation.
Were it not for Syria’s cooperation with the
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
(OPCW)-United Nations Joint Mission, the Mission
could not have completed that task. The Special
Coordinator of the Joint Mission, Ms. Sigrid Kaag,
expressed her happiness at and gratitude for the Syrian
Government’s fruitful and constructive cooperation,
which led to the completion of that unprecedented work.
As a State party, Syria is committed to the full
implementation of the provisions of the Chemical
Weapons Convention within the framework of the
OPCW. However, the big question remaining is whether
those who are supplying terrorists with chemical and
other types of weapons will stop doing so and abide
by international law, especially the Chemical Weapons
Convention and the Security Council resolutions related
to terrorism.
Syria stresses that a Middle East zone free of all
weapons of mass destruction cannot be established
unless Israel, the only nuclear Power in the region,
accedes to all treaties banning the proliferation of
such weapons and puts its nuclear facilities under
the supervision of the International Atomic Energy
Agency. At the same time, we emphasize the right of
all countries to acquire and develop nuclear technology
for peaceful uses.
The imposition of unethical, unilateral coercive
economic measures by the United States and the
European Union contravenes international law and the
principles of free trade. Therefore, we call for lifting
the blockade that the United States has imposed on
Cuba for decades, and we renew our call to lift and
stop all the unilateral coercive measures imposed on
Syria and the peoples of other countries, such as Iran,
the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Venezuela
and Belarus.
We look forward to the United Nations being
able to realize the aspirations of our peoples to live
in dignity and to achieve development and food self-
sufficiency, free from all forms of terrorism, tension
and confrontation, in implementation of the principles
and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations, in
particular safeguarding the States’ sovereignty and
equality in rights and obligations. We also believe that
priority should be given to concerted efforts by the
international community to combat the terrorism of
Daesh, Nusra Front and other Al-Qaida affiliates and
to drain their resources so that security and stability
will prevail in our region and the entire world.