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Opening Remarks by Mr. Peter Thomson, President of the 71st Session of the General Assembly, at informal briefing on the situation in Syria
20 October 2016
Your Excellency, Mr. Secretary-General,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab Republic is of grave concern to all Member States.
The ongoing, and indeed escalating, violence is causing untold tragedy.
Indiscriminate killing of civilians, the deliberate targeting of medical and humanitarian personnel, and the attacks on schools and places of worship, are violations of international humanitarian law, and are to be condemned in the strongest terms.
Hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women and children are among the fatalities, and millions have been driven from their homes in search of refuge.
The widespread and systematic violations of human rights, including extrajudicial killings, torture, sexual violence, arbitrary arrest, and enforced disappearance are an affront to humanity.
The rise of extremist and terrorist groups, and the violence and gross abuses that they are perpetrating, are also of deep concern.
Active conflict is interfering with – and far too often preventing – the delivery of humanitarian assistance to many areas of the country.
The people of Aleppo are particularly vulnerable, with the intensified fighting having devastating humanitarian consequences for the civilians that remain trapped there.
The immense human suffering of the people of Syria afflicts the good conscience of us all.
Well-established humanitarian principles demand that full, immediate and safe access of United Nations and humanitarian actors, must be granted without pre-conditions, so that desperately required assistance can reach people in need, particularly in besieged and hard-to-reach areas.
It goes without saying that a peaceful political resolution to the crisis is desperately needed.
All parties should therefore work to find a lasting solution that puts an end to the violence, and brings sustainable peace to the Syrian people.
In light of the seriousness of the ongoing humanitarian situation in Syria, today’s informal briefing has been called to enable members of this Assembly to receive a thorough update on the situation from the United Nations system, and for Member States to be able to ask questions.
I am grateful that both the Secretary-General, and his Special Envoy for Syria, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, have been able to join us today.