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8188th Security Council Meeting: Situation in Middle East
The Security Council, acting unanimously today, adopted a resolution demanding parties to Syria’s seven-year-long conflict to cease hostilities without delay for at least 30 consecutive days, ensuring a “durable humanitarian pause” to enable weekly humanitarian aid deliveries and medical evacuations of the critically sick and wounded.
By the terms of resolution 2401 (2018), the 15-member Council demanded that, immediately after the start of the cessation of hostilities, all parties would allow safe, unimpeded and sustained access each week for the humanitarian convoys of the United Nations and their implementing partners to all requested areas and populations — particularly the 5.6 million people in 1,244 communities in acute need and the 2.9 million in hard-to-reach and besieged locations, subject to standard United Nations security assessments. It also demanded that the United Nations and its partners be allowed to carry out safe, unconditional medical evacuations, based on medical need and urgency.
The Council further called upon all parties to immediately lift the sieges of populated areas — including in eastern Ghouta, Yarmouk, Foua and Kefraya — and cease depriving civilians of essential food and medicine, which when used as a method of combat was an act prohibited by international humanitarian law. It demanded that the parties enable the rapid, safe and unhindered evacuation of all civilians who wished to leave — underscoring the need for them to agree on humanitarian pauses, days of tranquillity, localized ceasefires and truces — and called for the urgent acceleration of humanitarian mine action throughout Syria.
Affirming that the cessation of hostilities would not apply to military operations against Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh), Al-Qaida, Al-Nusra Front and all other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with terrorist groups, as designated by the Council, the organ further called on relevant Member States to coordinate efforts to monitor the cessation of hostilities, building on existing arrangements. It called on all Member States to use their influence with the parties to ensure its implementation and create conditions for a durable and lasting ceasefire.
By other terms of the text, the Council reiterated its demand — reminding the Syrian authorities in particular — that all parties immediately comply with their obligations under international law concerning protecting civilians and medical and humanitarian personnel exclusively engaged in medical duties along with their means of transport and equipment, as well as hospitals and other medical facilities. It also reiterated its demand that they demilitarize medical facilities, schools and other civilian facilities; avoid establishing military positions in populated areas; and desist from attacks directed at civilian objects.
As Council members took the floor, many roundly welcomed the resolution’s unanimous adoption, emphasizing that the rare “moment of unity” could prove a critical turning point in the Council’s response to the longstanding tragedy unfolding in Syria. Some, however, expressed concern about the lengthy negotiations required to reach consensus, as well as scepticism that parties on the ground would adhere to its terms.
“There is a glimmer of hope today,” said France’s delegate, emphasizing that the humanitarian pause required by the resolution was a matter of life and death, especially following the escalation of violence over recent weeks in eastern Ghouta. However, the 30-day cessation of hostilities was only the first step and a minimum response. It was now up to supporters of the Assad regime to fully respect it, he said, warning that “nothing would be worse than seeing this resolution remain a dead letter.” Appealing for its full implementation, he said the truce could be used as leverage to break the deadlock and create a neutral environment for a credible political process.
The representative of the United States, while also welcoming the resolution’s adoption, voiced deep concern that the Russian Federation had stalled its progress numerous times over recent days. “Every minute the Council waited on Russia, the human suffering grew,” she said, noting that the text’s co-sponsors, Kuwait and Sweden, had a version prepared much earlier in the week. “Why did the Council allow this?” she asked, adding that while the delegates present did not know the names and faces of those who suffered on the ground, “they know us”. The Council must seize this moment of unity and make it a turning point in which the Russian Federation joined the international community, she said, calling on all parties to adhere to the ceasefire “with no excuses”.
The United Kingdom’s representative agreed that “this is not a moment for self-congratulation”. It had taken far too long to adopt today’s resolution, he stressed, noting that the Council’s many years of discussion on the Syrian conflict had yet to achieve the peace and stability so desperately needed by that country’s people. In the face of escalating violence and suffering, all must take practical steps to relieve the suffering of those living in “a hell of one man’s making”. The Council’s role and responsibility did not end with the passage of today’s text, but was just beginning, he said, urging all Member States — especially Council members — to ensure that their demands were implemented “from the moment we step out of this room”.
Other speakers, noting that earlier versions of the resolution had contained unrealistic elements that would not be implemented by the parties to the conflict, said the Council continued to ignore grave terrorist threats against Damascus that emanated from eastern Ghouta. Others also expressed concern over escalating rhetoric and threats of aggression against Syria.
The Russian Federation’s representative, noting that his delegation supported the text in so far as it encouraged the Syrian parties to the conflict to halt hostilities, said any language on an immediate cessation of hostilities would be impossible without agreement from the warring parties. That kind of unrealistic approach would not help to address the pressing humanitarian situation, he stressed, calling instead for demands that were underpinned by concrete, on-the-ground agreements. Some external sponsors of the illicit armed factions were falling short in that regard and were at times deliberately skirting their obligations. While the Russian Federation was proactively lending humanitarian assistance, its embassy in Damascus had been frequently attacked by rebels, and the dire situation in that city required urgent action.
Syria’s representative, stressing that the horrific stories outlined by some speakers omitted descriptions of the many crimes they themselves had perpetrated, said his Government had taken seriously and observed all de-escalation initiatives in order to protect the lives of its citizens. Calling on all States to sever ties with terrorist groups — whose violations had become increasingly serious and now threatened the lives of 8 million people in Damascus — he declared: “We bear the responsibility as a State for our citizens, and we have a right to counter-terrorism.” Indeed, Syria had the right to defend itself according to Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, he said, urging the Governments of the United States, the United Kingdom and France to stop devising plans — reminiscent of their colonial pasts — aimed at dividing his country.
Also speaking were the representatives of Sweden, Kuwait, China, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Poland, Equatorial Guinea, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Peru and Côte d’Ivoire.
The meeting began at 2:11 p.m. and ended at 3:34 p.m.
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