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UN / SYRIA MISSING PERSONS
STORY: UN / SYRIA MISSING PERSONS
TRT: 04:11
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 28 MARCH 2023, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, United Nations Headquarters
28 MARCH 2023, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, General Assembly Hall
3. Med shot, António Guterres walks up the podium
4. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“For 12 years, the Syrian people have suffered the brutalities of war, systematic atrocities, grinding deprivation, and human grief on a massive scale. Last month’s devastating earthquakes further worsened humanitarian needs that were already at their highest levels.”
5. Med shot, General Assembly Hall
6. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“The cornerstone is the establishment by the General Assembly of a new international institution to clarify the fate and whereabouts of the missing, and to provide support to victims and their families. I urge all Member States to act – and I call on the Government of Syria and on all parties to the conflict to cooperate.”
7. Med shot, Volker Türk walks up the podium
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk, High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“It is impossible to establish with certainty how many people have been disappeared in Syria. The figure of 100,000 is often cited; the real number may well be far more. What is certain is that families on every 2 side of this conflict have been devastated. Families on every side of this conflict want to know what has happened to their loved ones. I stand here before you to amplify their voices. It is such a simple, deeply human need -- perhaps one of the few things that unites people who are otherwise bitterly divided. It is also their right to know the truth.”
9. Med shot, Türk speaking
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk, High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“Children are growing up with a gaping absence where their father should be. Wives, mothers and sisters are struggling to support their families. Without proper documents, they have no rights to property; they may not even be able to travel with their children or even send them to school. There is also stigma: the fear that associating with the family of a missing person could bring down yet more violence on the community. Searching for their loved one exposes them to risks of exploitation, physical threat and extortion, demands for payment for information about their whereabouts that may later prove to be false, or reprisals.”
11. Med shot, GA hall
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk, High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“Most of the actors that we consulted agreed that a new, dedicated entity should be established, with a mandate to clarify the fate and whereabouts of missing persons, and provide families and survivors with answers and adequate support. A number of Member States have also indicated support for such an approach. Such an institution would work in cooperation and complementarity with existing actors, filling the gaps identified in the Secretary-General's report A/76/890 and providing a framework for them to continue and coordinate their work.”
13. Med shot, GA hall
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk, High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“We have heard from five countries that have gone through conflict, who have had experiences of missing people, who all emphasize one point – you cannot go into any addressing of grievances of your population if you don't address the fate of missing people. I myself, having worked for Syrian refugees for many years, I know how important it is for them. So we know that it is also important for any future of this country to take this into account. So our hope would be that this realization will also set in with the Syrian Government.”
15. Med shot, Türk walks away
During a General Assembly meeting on the issue of missing persons in Syria, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “The cornerstone is the establishment by the General Assembly of a new international institution to clarify the fate and whereabouts of the missing, and to provide support to victims and their families.” Guterres continued, “I urge all Member States to act – and I call on the Government of Syria and on all parties to the conflict to cooperate.”
The General Assembly today (28 Mar) held an informal dialogue related to Resolution 77/230.
The UN Chief said, “For 12 years, the Syrian people have suffered the brutalities of war, systematic atrocities, grinding deprivation, and human grief on a massive scale.”
He noted, “Last month’s devastating earthquakes further worsened humanitarian needs that were already at their highest levels.”
The introductory remarks by the Secretary-General were followed by a presentation by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk.
He said, “It is impossible to establish with certainty how many people have been disappeared in Syria. The figure of 100,000 is often cited; the real number may well be far more. What is certain is that families on every 2 side of this conflict have been devastated. Families on every side of this conflict want to know what has happened to their loved ones.”
Türk also said, “I stand here before you to amplify their voices. It is such a simple, deeply human need -- perhaps one of the few things that unites people who are otherwise bitterly divided. It is also their right to know the truth.”
The UN High Commissioner added, “Children are growing up with a gaping absence where their father should be. Wives, mothers and sisters are struggling to support their families. Without proper documents, they have no rights to property; they may not even be able to travel with their children or even send them to school.”
He added, “There is also stigma: the fear that associating with the family of a missing person could bring down yet more violence on the community. Searching for their loved one exposes them to risks of exploitation, physical threat and extortion, demands for payment for information about their whereabouts that may later prove to be false, or reprisals.”
The UN High Commissioner said, “Most of the actors that we consulted agreed that a new, dedicated entity should be established, with a mandate to clarify the fate and whereabouts of missing persons, and provide families and survivors with answers and adequate support.”
According to him, “A number of Member States have also indicated support for such an approach. Such an institution would work in cooperation and complementarity with existing actors, filling the gaps identified in the Secretary-General's report A/76/890 and providing a framework for them to continue and coordinate their work.”
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Türk said, “We have heard from five countries that have gone through conflict, who have had experiences of missing people, who all emphasize one point – you cannot go into any addressing of grievances of your population if you don't address the fate of missing people. I myself, having worked for Syrian refugees for many years, I know how important it is for them.”
Finally, he told reporters, “We know that it is also important for any future of this country to take this into account. So our hope would be that this realization will also set in with the Syrian Government.”
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