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UN / SYRIA
STORY: UN / SYRIA
TRT: 03:12
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ARABIC / ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 27 SEPTEMBER 2017, NEW YORK CITY
RECENT - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, UNHQ exterior
27 SEPTEMBER 2017, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Staffan de Mistura, Special Envoy for Syria, United Nations:
“No one is asking the opposition to suddenly stop being the opposition but we are urging the opposition to realize that it is most credible and effective when it stands together, and shows readiness to negotiate, which means give and take.”
4. Wide shot, Security Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Staffan de Mistura, Special Envoy for Syria, United Nations:
“Let me caution all sides against illusions of victory or dreams of shortcuts. There is no substitute for an internationally supported process based in Geneva on a comprehensive and inclusive approach that also helps Syrians to re-discover a modicum of trust and social cohesion after this bitter conflict.”
6. Med shot, Haley
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Nikki Haley, Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations:
“The only way to end the violence and defeat terrorism is through a political transition, one that does not allow Iranian influence to replace ISIS or Assad in power. If the civil war continues, more people will suffer, and our gains against ISIS will only open the door to other extremists seeking to exploit the conflict.”
8. Med shot, De Mistura
9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Bashar Ja’afari, Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nation:
“My country’s government has shown seriousness and commitment to the Astana and Geneva processes. We have attended till now seven rounds in Astana and seven rounds in Geneva, but still some say that the Syrian Government is not serious about participating in a political process. What then have we been doing at seven rounds in Astana and seven rounds in Geneva?”
10. Med shot, delegates
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Nikki Haley, Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations:
“We would like to give that money to Syria. We would like to give that money to their government, if we can see proof that they are taking care of their own people. And so, trust has to be earned. Trust has to be taken in based on good faith and good will. We haven’t seen that. We’re not giving up on seeing that, but there is no way that you can come to this Council and talk about the fact that anyone is doing anything politically in this situation; because the truth of the matter is the only political thing we all want is for Syrians to go home and live under a government that takes care of their own people.”
12. Med shot, UN humanitarian chief
13. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Bashar Ja’afari, Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nation:
“My colleague said that Syrians fled due to the actions of the Syrian Government. I say to you today, for all to see and listen, that the Syrian Government wants the countries hosting refugees to return them to their country. And for the millions of Syrians to return to their country, with dignity and respect, the unilateral sanctions must be lifted so that these millions of Syrians can find jobs, factories, job opportunities, and a dignified life.”
14. Wide shot, Security Council
UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan De Mistura announced today (27 Sep) his intention to convene a new round of intra-Syrian talks in Geneva a month from now and cautioned all sides to the conflict against “illusions of victory or dreams of shortcuts.”
Speaking at the Security Council, De Mistura said there is “no substitute for an internationally supported process based in Geneva on a comprehensive and inclusive approach that also helps Syrians to re-discover a modicum of trust and social cohesion after this bitter conflict.” He called on all parties to assess the situation with realism and responsibility to the Syrian people and to prepare to participate seriously in the Geneva talks without preconditions.
The Special Envoy said the Syrian government must be urged to show that it genuinely wants to negotiate about credible inclusive governance as well as a process for a new constitution, and UN supervised elections. He also said that that the opposition has the duty to signal its intention to speak with one voice. He stressed that “no one is asking the opposition to suddenly stop being the opposition” but urged them to realize that they are “most credible and effective” when they stand together and shows “readiness to negotiate, which means give and take.”
United States Ambassador Nikki Haley noted the reduction of violence in Syria but emphasised the need not to become complacent. She said gains against ISIL could be temporary without a true political process and underlined the need for a political transition which “does not allow Iranian influence to replace ISIS or Assad in power” as the only way to end the violence and defeat terrorism.
Syrian Ambassador Bashar Ja’afari said his government has shown “seriousness and commitment” to the Astana and Geneva processes but it is still accused by some of not being serious about participating in a political process. He asked, “What then have we been doing at seven rounds in Astana and seven rounds in Geneva?” Jaafari reaffirmed his government’s stance of fighting terrorism over all Syrian territory and its commitment to a political settlement to the crisis based on intra-Syrian talks, without external interference, and without preconditions. He said the time has come for the international community to clearly state that the root cause of the crisis in Syria is the spread of terrorist organizations like ISIL, Al-Nusra, and their associates, as well the unilateral sanctions being imposed on his country.
Ja’afari recalled the United States’ recent pledge of 697 million USD to support Syrian refugees and their host communities in neighbouring countries and ask if it was not better to spend this money on returning refugees home, and rebuilding schools, hospitals, and roads. Responding to the Syrian ambassador, Nikki Haley said in her recent visits to Jordan and Turkey, many Syrian refugees told her that the reason they left Syrian was both terrorism and out of fear of their own government. She said the US would “like to give that money” to the Syria government if it could see “proof that they are taking care of their own people.” Haley said trust must be earned and the US is “not giving up on seeing that.”
Ja’afari said Syria does not benefit from having millions of its own people, who are needed by their country, living as refugees and stressed that the Syrian Government “wants the countries hosting refugees to return them to their country.” He noted, however, that for the millions of Syrians to return to their country with dignity and respect “the unilateral sanctions must be lifted so that these millions of Syrians can find jobs, factories, job opportunities, and a dignified life.”
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