PRESS BRIEFING BY BRENDEN VARMA, SPOKESPERSON FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT VOLKAN BOZKIR

United Nations Headquarters, New York

30 March 2021

 

SYRIA: PRESIDENT CALLS FOR POLITICAL SETTLEMENT & CONDEMNS ATTACKS ON HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS AS ASSEMBLY HEARS BRIEFING FROM SECRETARY-GENERAL

  • This morning the President is convening an informal General Assembly meeting to hear a briefing by the Secretary-General on Syria. The focus includes implementation of Security Council resolution 2254 (2015) and the humanitarian and human rights situations in the country.
  • Accompanying the Secretary-General are: Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs; Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights and Head of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in New York; and Ramesh Rajasingham, Acting Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator.
  • In the President’s opening remarks, he noted with concern that the Syrian people have been suffering for ten years, with their demands for freedom having been suppressed by violence.
  • He said, “There is no daily life for Syrians – there is only survival.” But, he added, that survival was becoming increasingly difficult as living conditions across the country continued to deteriorate.
  • Flagging the effects of the crisis on women and children, he added that the current situation was also heavily impacting the communities that hosted refugees and was causing security risks all over the region.
  • He also condemned recent attacks on medical and humanitarian operations.
  • The President lauded UN entities and their partners for delivering aid to 7.6 million people every month, and he called for sustained humanitarian access, especially as COVID-19 vaccinations start in the coming months.
  • At the same time, he said, humanitarian aid alone was not the answer. Rather, a Syrian-led, Syrian-owned political settlement, in accordance with Security Council resolution 2254, was the best hope to ensure peace, stability and the protection of human rights in Syria.

 

CONSULTATIONS TO FOCUS ON MODALITIES FOR HIGH-LEVEL MEETING ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING

  • This afternoon, the Assembly will hold consultations on a high-level meeting to track progress against the UN Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons.
  • This is the first out of several rounds of consultations planned for this session, which will focus on the high-level meeting’s modalities. The actual meeting is mandated to be held during the Assembly’s 76th session – after the General Debate and before December 2021.
  • The co-facilitators for this process are the Permanent Representatives of Georgia and the Philippines.
  • The President will deliver remarks at the consultations today. He is expected to say that trafficking in human lives is an abhorrent crime – and that its consequences are vast.
  • He will say that we must focus on preventing this crime, which is so often driven by poverty, human rights violations, food insecurity and other vulnerabilities.

 

PRESIDENT UNDERSCORES IMPORTANCE OF MULTILATERALISM IN MEETING WITH U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE

  • Yesterday afternoon, the President received a “virtual visit” from H.E. Mr. Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State of the United States.
  • They discussed the ongoing work of the United Nations and the General Assembly, including on Myanmar, Syria, and the response to COVID-19.
  • The President outlined his priorities for the 75th session, such as advancing gender equality and addressing the needs of the most vulnerable, including the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
  • He emphasized the need to address the plight of Palestine refugees and resolve the conflict to achieve the vision of two States living side by side in peace and security.
  • The President highlighted the long history of cooperation between the United Nations and the United States and underscored the importance of multilateralism in addressing global challenges, including COVID-19.
  • In that context, he also endorsed the need to enhance the role of civil society in international decision-making.