Statement by the Republic of Slovenia at the UNSC briefing on the situation in the Middle East (Syria)

Thank you, Mr. President.

I thank Special Envoy Pedersen and OCHA Director Rajasingham for their briefings.

Mr. President,

Slovenia reiterates its call to defuse and de-escalate the situation in Syria and we urge all actors in the region to exert utmost restraint.

In the light of the regional escalation of violence, it is even more important  that the situation in Syria does not deteriorate further. This underscores the immediate urgency of a viable political solution through a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned process under the auspices of the UN, in which full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of Syrian women is essential. Slovenia fully supports the Special Envoy’s efforts to find a political solution in line with resolution 2254.

We also urge for serious commitments by all major stakeholders in confidence-building measures led by the Special Envoy. We call for the restoration of dialogue among Syrians, starting by agreeing to reconvene the Constitutional Committee meeting without any further delay. In light of this I would like to make the following points.

First, given the continued conduct of hostilities, insecurity and instability, millions of Syrians continue to live in a climate of fear. Millions of people are still internally displaced, alongside millions of refugees. Syrians are still fleeing the country, whether due to the violent conflict, oppression and economic crisis or the desperate humanitarian situation.

We are very concerned about increasing reports of severe human rights violations and abuses against Syrian refugees in the region, including about violations of the principle of non-refoulement. This is unacceptable and must stop. We reiterate that conditions for safe, dignified and voluntary return of Syrian refugees are not met yet.

Second, thousands of Syrians perished under torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment, including sexual and gender-based violence, whilst in detention, and too many are still suffering torture today, across all of Syria. Slovenia calls on the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic to ensure compliance with the provisional measures of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The sheer scale of the file of missing persons, arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances in Syria is a stark reminder that no lasting reconciliation is possible without addressing the grief of the families of the missing. Children continue to suffer from grave violations of their rights, including recruitment.

Accountability is imperative for obtaining justice for survivors. We continue to support efforts to gather and preserve evidence with a view of future legal action, including by the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria and the work of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria.

Third, as we have heard again today, Syrian women are facing particularly perilous conditions. We are alarmed by the reports of enormous increase of violence against women and girls, including early and forced marriage. Women are bearing the brunt of the economic and humanitarian crisis, forcing them to resort to negative coping mechanisms, that leave them exposed and exploited.

Fourth, without the prospect of a political solution, the humanitarian situation in Syria will continue to deteriorate. The humanitarian needs are at an all-time high, driven by overlapping crises, including multiple conflicts across the country, a severe water crisis, food insecurity, health emergencies as well as by the consequences of other crises in the region.

Syrian people need sustainable, predictable and efficient aid flows – including cross-border and cross-line aid – across the whole country for as long as needed. We recall that all parties must ensure unimpeded, rapid and safe passage of humanitarian aid to and through areas under their control.

Finally, the only long-term solution to ending this conflict and the suffering of Syrian people is through the UN-led political process based on UNSCR 2254. We reiterate our support to Special Envoy’s efforts, and we call on the parties to cooperate fully towards delivering a lasting political settlement in Syria.

Thank you.

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