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STORY: UN / SYRIA
TRT: 04:03
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / ARABIC / NATS
DATELINE: 08 JANUARY 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, UN Headquarters
08 JANUARY 2025, NEW YORK CITY
2. Med shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, United Nations:
“Decisions taken now will determine the future for a long time to come. There are great opportunities and real dangers. Syrians and the international community need to get the next phase right, and the UN stands ready to do everything we can to facilitate, to help and to support.”
4. Wide shot, Security Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, United Nations:
“There are signs of instability within areas under the control of the caretaker authorities. While there are many areas where law and order appear to be good, we have seen multiple reports of incidents of violence – in the coastal region and Homs and Hama in particular – including accounts of degrading and humiliating treatment.”
6. Med shot, Syrian Ambassador
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, United Nations:
“There are significant areas outside the control of the caretaker authorities, the conflict continues, and there are also very real threats to Syria’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. The northeast, as well as parts of Aleppo city, remain under the control of SDF and YPG. Despite a US brokered ceasefire near Manbij in December, there have been reports of clashes and exchanges of artillery fire between the SDF and Syrian National Army forces in particular.”
8. Wide shot, Security Council
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, United Nations:
“We are deeply concerned by continued Israeli military presence and activity, including beyond the area of separation in violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement. Furthermore, restrictions on UNDOF’s freedom of movement imposed by IDF should be lifted without delay. Attacks on Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must stop.”
10. Wide shot, Security Council
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, United Nations:
“Reports of the IDF using live ammunition against civilians, displacement and destruction of civilian infrastructure are also very worrying. Such violations, along with Israeli airstrikes in other parts of Syria – reported even last week in Aleppo – could further jeopardize the prospects for an orderly political transition. ISIL remains a significant concern, with ongoing ISIL activities and worries that they may seek to take advantage of security flux in some areas.”
12. Wide shot, Security Council
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Thomas Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, United Nations:
“We need to ensure efficient flow of support into and through Syria. This means that any sanctions should not impede humanitarian support. The United States' announcement of a new General License covering transactions with Syrian governing institutions also provides a welcome signal. It also means support from Syria's neighbours.”
14. Med shot, Emergency Relief Coordinator
15. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Koussay Aldahhak, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Syrian Arab Republic:
“Syrian authorities also stressed that the new Syria is willing to play a positive role on the international arena. It will be a positive contributor to the promotion of international peace and security, and it will not engage in any conflict or war.”
16. Med shot, Security Council
UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said that there are “great opportunities and real dangers” as the country charts a new course following the fall of the former regime one month ago.
Briefing the Security Council today (8 Jan) on the situation in Syria, Pedersen said, “Decisions taken now will determine the future for a long time to come. There are great opportunities and real dangers. Syrians and the international community need to get the next phase right, and the UN stands ready to do everything we can to facilitate, to help and to support.”
He also said, “There are signs of instability within areas under the control of the caretaker authorities. While there are many areas where law and order appear to be good, we have seen multiple reports of incidents of violence – in the coastal region and Homs and Hama in particular – including accounts of degrading and humiliating treatment.”
He continued, “There are significant areas outside the control of the caretaker authorities, the conflict continues, and there are also very real threats to Syria’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. The northeast, as well as parts of Aleppo city, remain under the control of SDF and YPG. Despite a US brokered ceasefire near Manbij in December, there have been reports of clashes and exchanges of artillery fire between the SDF and Syrian National Army forces in particular.”
He also said, “We are deeply concerned by continued Israeli military presence and activity, including beyond the area of separation in violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement. Furthermore, restrictions on UNDOF’s freedom of movement imposed by IDF should be lifted without delay. Attacks on Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must stop.”
He stressed, “Reports of the IDF using live ammunition against civilians, displacement and destruction of civilian infrastructure are also very worrying. Such violations, along with Israeli airstrikes in other parts of Syria – reported even last week in Aleppo – could further jeopardize the prospects for an orderly political transition. “
He continued, ISIL remains a significant concern, with ongoing ISIL activities and worries that they may seek to take advantage of security flux in some areas.”
Thomas Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said, “We need to ensure efficient flow of support into and through Syria. This means that any sanctions should not impede humanitarian support. The United States' announcement of a new General License covering transactions with Syrian governing institutions also provides a welcome signal. It also means support from Syria's neighbours.”
Syrian Arab Republic Ambassador Koussay Aldahhak stated, “Syrian authorities also stressed that the new Syria is willing to play a positive role on the international arena,” he said, adding that “it will be a positive contributor to the promotion of international peace and security, and it will not engage in any conflict or war.”
