In an unprecedented unanimity, the members of the Security Council expressed their deep concern at the risks of spillover and escalation of regional tensions in Syria, particularly as a result of the war in Gaza and the clashes on both sides of the border between Israel and Lebanon, which could draw the country into an even more serious conflict.
“There is a clear and immediate risk of a broader regional war that would draw the Syrian people into its crosshairs,”, as Mr. Geir Otto Pedersen, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria, warned that the level of violence in the Syrian conflict remains very high and noted a major escalation of regional tensions. He expressed deep concern over the explosions of a large number of communications devices in Lebanon and Syria on 17 and 18 September, as well as the subsequent Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon and Hezbollah rocket attacks on Israel.
He went on to discuss drone strikes, artillery and rocket fire, and clashes on the front lines. Meanwhile, north-east and south-west Syria continue to experience serious tensions. The threat posed by Daesh continues to grow, with the group increasing the number and severity of its attacks, including its first high-profile beheading in several years. Mr. Pedersen therefore reiterated the Secretary-General’s “strong” call for the utmost restraint at this “extremely dangerous” time for the entire Middle East. “De-escalation is now an absolute necessity throughout the region, including a ceasefire in Gaza,” he pleaded, before calling for the establishment of a national ceasefire, as provided for in Council resolution 2254 (2015).
Like Iran, the Syrian delegation held Israel responsible for the risk of escalation in the region, accusing it of having lit the fuse by carrying out deadly attacks on Hama on September 8. "Israel could not continue to carry out these 'barbaric attacks' against states in the region if it did not benefit from immunity, impunity and unconditional support from the United States and other Western countries," it argued.
According to Syria, the recent drone attack in Idlib shows that Ukraine is transferring weapons and drones to Syrian terrorist groups, with the approval of the United States, in exchange for sending terrorists to Ukraine to fight and orchestrate attacks against the Russian Federation, an accusation described as "absurd" by the American delegation.
The Syrian accusation, however, only echoed that made by the representative of the Russian Federation. The latter also accused the United States and its allies of adding fuel to the fire by using the areas of Syria in which they are illegitimately militarily present in order to further destabilize the political and socio-economic situation in the country. The escalation of hostilities in the zone of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict further complicates an already difficult situation in Syria, argued the Russian representative, who accused Israel of taking advantage of the situation to strike Syria via Lebanese airspace.
The United States justified its presence in Syria solely by the need to combat Daesh, an organization that threatens peace and security throughout the region. It urged the "Syrian regime" and Russia to allow humanitarian aid to be delivered everywhere in Syria, including across borders and front lines.
In this growing regional unrest, the situation in Syria continues to deteriorate before our eyes, Slovenia's representative warned, calling for a viable political solution to the conflict through a process "led and controlled by the Syrians" under the auspices of the UN. For Switzerland, "the ongoing military hostilities in Syria and the political solution are closely linked."
The Director of the Coordination Division of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Mr. Ramesh Rajasingham, highlighted the devastating impact of this war on children, who represent nearly half of the 16 million people in need. More than a third of school-age children will not attend school this year, Mr. Rajasingham noted, referring to a "generational crisis" that can be explained by the worsening economic crisis and insufficient funding for humanitarian aid. This situation is forcing families to adopt "negative coping strategies", such as making young children, particularly boys, work, and encouraging or forcing underage girls to marry.
In this regard, the Special Envoy described the situation of refugees and internally displaced persons as “alarming,” with voluntary returns remaining limited while Syrians continued to leave the country. In addition to violence, oppression, human rights abuses and a “desperate” economic and humanitarian crisis, the 14 million Syrians forced to leave their homes still had to challenge with growing anti-refugee rhetoric, Slovenia noted, while acknowledging that the conditions for safe, voluntary and dignified return were still not met.
“Without a credible political solution process, the spiral of trends in Syria is likely to continue,” Mr. Pedersen noted. He noted that there are currently at least four areas divided by active frontlines in the country, a range of Syrian armed actors, terrorist groups listed by the Council, and six foreign armies involved in active conflict, some at the invitation of the Damascus government. All this while the root causes of the conflict persist, with contrasting visions for a post-conflict Syria.
On this issue, Syrian delegation reiterated its commitment to a political process by and for the Syrians, conducted without any foreign interference. Its representative expressed his willingness to cooperate with the Special Envoy, referring in particular to the organization of the ninth round of meetings of the Constitutional Committee in Iraq. Despite the complex situation prevailing in the region, the Syrian authorities were making every effort to improve humanitarian conditions and provide essential services to Syrians, he assured, in order to create conditions favorable to the return of Syrian refugees and displaced persons. However, the Russian Federation and China added that the decision on the location of the Constitutional Committee should be determined by the Syrians themselves, in order to create the necessary conditions for the political process.
The Syrian delegation also considered that the "illegitimate" unilateral coercive measures imposed by the United States and the European Union hinder humanitarian aid, and constitute a form of "collective punishment" of the Syrian population. France said it was ready to lift sanctions and consider financing the reconstruction of Syria, on condition of tangible and verifiable progress within the framework of a genuine political process.