Statement by Ambassador at the UN Security Council
meeting on Syria.
Thank you, President, and I also would like to thank UN Special
Envoy Geir Pedersen, OCHA Director Ramesh Rajasingham, and Helen
Hayford for your briefings today.
In response, I'd like to make three points:
First, with a record 16.7 million Syrians in need of humanitarian
assistance, effective and sustainable access is a priority.
Cross-border aid is a lifeline for over 4 million of these
people. So we reiterate our call for the Assad regime to extend
consent for cross-border aid access at Bab Al Salam, Bab Al Rai
and Bab Al Hawa, without conditions and without arbitrary time
limits, and for as long as humanitarian needs demand. Cross-line
assistance is important, but it cannot match the scale of the
cross-border operation.
Second, women and girls have a critical role to play in Syria's
future. It is important that we keep this front and centre of
this Council's approach to achieving peace and stability in
Syria. This includes supporting the efforts of Syrian women's
civil society organisations, human rights defenders, and
supporting the participation of women in the political process.
This is particularly important given the disproportionate impact
of the conflict on women, including the challenge of
conflict-related sexual violence.
The UK's five-year, $67 million programme, ‘Building Local
Resilience in Syria', is enabling the delivery of three
groundbreaking programmes supporting women in the labour market
and tackling gender-based violence.
Third, we remain steadfast in our support of host countries to
manage refugee communities and ensure that refugees' rights are
protected. These refugees are prevented from returning home
by the actions of the Assad regime. As UNHCR state: Syria is not
yet an environment for safe, dignified and voluntary refugee
returns.
Finally, at a fragile moment in the region, we urge the regime to
ensure that Syria does not contribute further to regional
instability. And to instead refocus their efforts on meaningful
engagement towards a political settlement that can guarantee the
long-term stability that Syrians deserve in line with UNSCR 2254.
We urge all members of the Constitutional Committee to agree a
location and convene the ninth meeting of the Committee as soon
as possible to progress this effort.
