A peace Solution So Syrian Refugees Can Return Home

threatening to use ICBM missiles. Now, if you're a child who grew up before the Berlin Wall falls, you're probably like, you hear this and you're shocked because what that actually means is intercontinental ballistic missile, which is the famed nuclear missiles that were aimed at the at targets in North America and especially the United States. It was part of they were part of the Cold War, and he's threatening to use the to reaim the These nuclear will happen

at targets in the Ukraine. And it brings to the idea of okay, if he is so certain that the war that he has been waging against the Ukrainian people is going so well, then why does he need to

turn to such extreme measures. And the thing about about these particular missiles, and they were more of a terror attempt than they were actually a real threat, because no one actually knew what would happen if a bunch of these missiles were fired at their specific targets, and of course the return fire of these of these missiles, because well, we have managed to try to make it as automated

as possible, the response. Even though the the a famed button to be pushed that we saw during the eighties, of all these different different videos of hey, We're going to push the button, it leads us to think how desperate he truly is and how much of what he's actually saying is truly propaganda, because he's trying to scare the world into siding with not the people of Russia but him as an autocrat of Russia, the single ruling power,

because he controls the party that people should be voting for. So a lot to be said there between UH, Russia and Ukraine. What is actually happening Because n because we're UH, we're also hearing from mister Zelensky about how he is about them mount a large offensive on the other side of the Ukraine Russia order. Okay, So that that being said, mister Trump is lining up his ducks and his cabinet of form and to to take over the presidency in January.

He has had a uh a few uh changes already for various h reasons, and he he is hiring some of the some of the positions that he is hiring for were like the secretary of Defense. It would seem, oh, it is going to be some corporate leader is opposed to a military leader, somebody who actually understands how to defend a country. And that there has been some other cabinet changes because one person was was forced to resign before he even got started. I don't really want to

get into too much of that. That's why I'm not talking about names and all that sort of stuff, because in the end, we know that the cabinet either that he hires, he is hiring them because they will bow to his whim and not criticize, just do as he says. So why mentioned names, because it doesn't matter who the name is, It doesn't matter who that person is. They're there because they're just gonna do what mister Trump wants

them to do. And that's the end of it. He is going to turn the Oval Office into his own little autocracy, and hopefully he won't be able to change too much with that, that Congress will be able to put up the proper checks and balances so that he cannot create himself to be an autocrat. So let's get back to his criminal case that happened in New York City. Well, that criminal case is going to disappear, he is. They

are going to dismiss the case of hush money. And with that, with that is how he actually falsified documents to hide the fact that he was paying certain people to do things that were more or less unsavory. How he tried to say that it was a business expense to extort money out of a person or pay someone

off so that they would just simply go away. He's going he's he is evading the whole process of justice because he became pre president of the United States, and he should shouldn't have been able to avoid it because he shouldn't have been abled legally, he shouldn't have been able to run because it was a criminal case. It doesn't matter that if the charges were trumped up or not. Okay, if the charges were false, false or not, would the

case was still in the court. So if he had respect for the constant the US Constitution, he would have bowed out of the running to begin with, which would have brought about a totally different outcome for the presidency. But just just from that start right there tells us of how much he actually had has a respect for

their presidency itself. What does he truly respect out of the way the United States government actually works, He has seems to have zero respect, and he thinks that it thinks that he should be allowed to bend the rules and bend the way things work to exactly what he wants.

So it's going to be an interesting four years on that We're going to see who he's actually going to have represented him in conquers, and we're also going to see how the United States is going to be represented in the world, because already there have been checks that that that we're that are usually automated and written and accountable for in different international organizations that they're already questioning if those checks are going to come after mister Trump

takes the presidency different causes within the United Nations and also well even within NATO. So we'll have to see what mister Trump is actually doing, and we won't know until he takes office. So let's move forward, and we're going to listen to in a few minutes about Syria, and we're going to hear reports and statements given to the UN Security Council on the current status and what is actually happening in Syria and how the people of

Syria want their country back. They want to note that they can return home as a refugee, return back to their own country and be safe. They have a safe and happy home with Syria, because that's that is their land. We're going to hear hear from people who are going to discuss what is actually going on. One of them is going to be the United Nations repertoire As As She's going to deliver the official United Nations statement from

an official office. And we're going to hear statements from Caian citizens who, like I said, to simply want their country back. They want both sides of the war to to come to an end. They want to see what is happening with with Lebanon and Israel Palestine to find a cease fire. And we've heard in early and earlier statements about how Israel saying that if Iran is is the one who's really running amok and putting terror cells all over. We are going to hear about how uh

there is a terrorism terrorism problem in Syria. It is a real problem, but.

their family. Those sort of people, the people who don't have any real political affiliation or influence, how are they, how are they living and how can we help them live better? So when do we listen to what we said on the United Nations Security Security Council floor about Syria.

priority for Syria is the escalation. The country is being battered by the relentless storms of regional confort by the rising waves of conflict within its own borders. This year is well on track to be the most violent since twenty twenty, and the potential for even greater devastation looms on the horizon. Designsive action by all with inference is needed to prevent Syria being further swept into a broader conflagration once again. Israeli air strikes on Syria have increased significantly,

both in frequency and scope. Just yesterday we saw downs and skilled in a strike near Palmira, likely that death is.

This has further hindered the passage of civilians fleeing violence in Lebanon and also caused serious disruptions to essential.

severely impacted or damaged critical civilian infrastructure. The STF claimed to have killed Turkish soldiers in attack on Turkish positions in Syria, with further reports of civilian areas hit but STF rocket strikes.

Central Desert region. Clearly, Mister President, there is an urgent need for seasfires in Gaza and Lebanon and for respect for the sovereignty, unity, independence, and territorial integrity of Syria and indeed all states in the region. Alongside regional de escalation, there is an urgent need to work towards a nationwide seasfire in Syria in line with Security Council Resolution twenty two fifty four and a cooperative approach to combating Security

Council listed terrorist groups. I reiterate the Secretary General call on all parties to respect their obligations and the international law, including international humanitarian law as applicable. Let me also forcefully condemn all attacks we have seen posing hard to civilian and civilian infrastructures. Mister Presidents, you R reports that over half a million people have fled Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon and crossed into Syria since late September.

the form of over compliance. Let me also welcome the Government of Syria's decision to extend for a further three month permission for the UN to use Babis Salam and Alrai border crossings, which remains critical to reach those in need in northwest Syria. Mister President, Syria remains in a profound an active.

with the opposition Syrian Negotiation Commission. This will send a clear message that the framework for the political process remains alive and operational, and that there is a Syrian government and opposition whose numinies are able to sit together and address the critical issues at the heart of the Intrasyrian conflicts. Another signal could be to further develop step for step confidence building measures in light of the ideas on the table and bearing in mind the developments on the.

The Special Envoy has been sharing ideas on how to develop the comprehensive path out of these conflicts. Engagement on these ideas will be a strong signal at a time of potential change that the negotiated political solution on Syria, in line with our Solution twenty two fifty four is not beyond a recollective ingenuity and political will.

the table. This remains a key element in building a resilient, peace and sustainable future for Syria, as we heard in the recent Security Council session on Women building Peace in a changing environment. Mister President, in closing, let me reiterate the Special Envoys appeal to all parties to d escalate the military situation both in the region and within Syria, and prioritize the protection and support Syrian civilians, including those

crossing back. Will also call on Syrian and international stakeholders to work with a special on board to reinvigorate.

already in need of vital humanitarian assistance. And third, the heightened need for humanity and funding and working in ways that maximize resources. Since I last breathed the Security Council in October, hostilities in Lebanon have continued to drive thousands of people across the border and to Syria every day. We welcome the ongoing willingness of the government of Syria to keep its borders open and facilitate their entry. At the same time, continued air strikes along the border have

made this crossing more dangerous and challenging. As you've just heard from the Deputy Special Envoy, damage from air strikes means that vehicles can no longer traverse two of the five official border crossings. This includes the main their Debt Yaboos crossing in rural Damascus, through which half of their arrivals to date have come, and the UCAA crossings in homes. People including women, children and other vulnerable groups, have resorted to navigate in the crossing on foot or seeking out

longer and riskier alternative routes. Air strikes near the UCAIR border crossing in Alcusair have landed close to UNATR facilities and in one case damage the UNATR border posts at UC. Another strike in the shams In area damaged the Damascus Homes Road. Civilian casualties also continue to be reported from ongoing strikes in various parts of the country, including residential areas.

These strikes are also complicating aid efforts. The movement of aid workers have been scaled back, particularly to parts of homes. The damage to border crossings has forced trucks to take longer routes, contributing to increased costs for commodities. Ongoing hostilities have also affected people's movement and response efforts in other locations. An Angio worker, for example, was injured in hostilities and

Aleppo Governorate. It is critical to take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian harm, including to aid workers, Mister President. In total, more than five hundred and forty thousand people have now reportedly fled to Syria from Lebanon since late September half, more than half a million people and estimated two thirds are Syrian. More than half of this number are children, Over seven thousand are pregnant women, and about

forty percent of arriving households are headed by women. The key needs of these of those arriving to date include food, household items, shelter, health assistance, protection and legal support. United Nations agencies are working alongside the Syrian Arab Crescent Red Crescent and other partners to provide their basic needs at the border and are places of onward movement. Our colleagues from UNATR as Thats Deputy Special and Boar has said

as well, are monitoring and assessing those in need. However, since the launch of the three hundred and twenty four million dollars un NACR led into agency appeal in early October, we have received only fifty five million, or that's what's projected in the pipeline. Humaniturns are doing what we can, including with existing resources on hand, but this is not sustainable in a country where sixteen point seven million people more than seventy percent of the population, are already in

need of assistance. While we welcome the contributions meet to date, while we are grateful to donors for their generosity, we urge donors to step forward with more funding. There are already reports of some Lebanese families returning to Lebanon due to lack of services and poor living conditions in Syria.

UNATRS continuing to monitor the situation, which further illustrates the impossible decisions displaced people are often faced with, Mister President, more than one hundred thousand people have arrived in the northeast of Syria. This is adding to needs in a region where three quarters of population already requires humanitarian assistance

and where conflict and other drivers of needs continue. Late last month, an escalation hostilities in the Northeast killed or injured dozens of civilians, damage to civilian infrastructure, disrupted access to water, electricity, and fuel for hundreds of thousands of people, and several humanitarian partners were forced to temporarily suspend their activities. The region is also facing an emerging outbreak of suspected cholera, with over two hundred and seventy suspected cases and one

death reported to date in the Northeast. Many of these cases are in alcohol camp where tens of thousands of people, again most of them women, and children are living in crowded, detention like conditions. The lack of adequate testing facilities in Alhassake, along with declining resources for health services, poses a serious risk to containing the cholera outbreak. Meanwhile, unestimated seven eight hundred people fleeing Lebanon have arrived in northwest Syria, where needs,

displacement and civilian casualties are already high. As a result of hostilities, Mister President, members of the Council already facing staggering levels of need and overstretched humanitarian services. Host communities are pressed even further. Our partners have described a family in homes that it was already facing severe food insecurity, hosting some twenty family members who have fled Lebanon, or a classroom in Aleppo designed for up to forty five

students now overflowing with more than seventy children. These are communities where humanitterne assistance has already had to be dramatically scaled by funding for the Humanitan Response Plan stands at only twenty eight percent, and about two million fewer people are receiving critical aid month aid each month now more than a year ago. The impact on food security is particularly alarming. Nearly thirteen million people already facing food insecurity

in Syria. This is the fifth highest total globally, while the WFP has been forced to reduce its assistance by

eighty percent in the past two years due to funding cuts. Worryingly, the latest Hunger Hotspots report issued by the World Fool Program and the Food and Agricultural Organization identifies Syria as a country of very high concern among the twelve countries most at risk for further deteriorating conditions in the coming six months, as the Resident and Human un Coordinator for Syria and the Regional HUMANTERNK for the Syria Crisis warned

in a joint statement last week, unless more funding is received, consequences will be dire. More funding is needed to help some two point five million people withstand the winter months, which are setting in The situation is particularly serious for displaced people in camps and informal sites in northwest Syria. Some one point four million internally displaced persons require urgent assistance,

including seven hundred and thirty thousand people still living in tents. Again, women and children, who make up majority of these people, stand to suffer the most without additional funding. Recipiratory infections and hospitalizations are largely are likely to surge, particularly among young children, even as health assistants has been scaled back and millions of children who lose out on school due

to lack of heating. Mister President, the serious limitations and resources have made make direct and efficient humaniturn assistance via all available routes even more essential. In this regard, I welcomed the Government of serious extension of permission as the Deputies for Jenvoy also highlighted for the United Nations to use Babba, Salam and Arai crossings to deliver assistance from Tokyo to Northwest Syria until thirteen February twenty twenty five.

The cross border operation is a critical lifeline for nearly a million people a month in Idlib and Northern Aleppo. Funding shortfalls also reinforced importance of strengthened investments in early recovery assistance under the Humanity TAN Response Plan and the

New Early Recovery Strategy. For example, investing and rehabilitation rehabilitating irrigation systems will allow for greater food production and expand agriculture livelihoods, critical given this year's wheat harvest is expected to nearly be nearly fifty percent below the pre crisis level. Critical also because of the food in security numbers I shared earlier. Similar interventions are needed in health, water, education, and energy sectors, all of which have been decimated by

years of conflict and crisis. Finally, Mister President, the deteriorating humanity and situation in Syria underlines the importance of sustained progress towards peace in Syria and across the region. We once again urge for special support for the Special Envoy Pedicin's efforts to facilitate a political solution in Syria, an essential step towards ending this decade long humanity and crisis and enabling the people of to rebuild their lives and restore hope for a better future. I thank you and.

their resort and beyond echo this sentiment. In the years between these two moments, hundreds of thousands of us have been killed, tens of thousands forcibly disappeared or tortured to this, and millions have been displaced. Those who remain live in a fragmented Syria ruled by de facto authorities, including that of the Assad regime, who rules by force and not by legitimacy. But I am not here today to recount atrocities you know very well, nor am I here to steer your emotions or appeal to your.

political dynamics. Our documentation and advocacy led to the creation of the International Impartial and Independent Mechanism, the first you and accountability mechanism of its.

exactly a year ago. In November twenty twenty three, the ICJ issued a landmark ruling demanding Syria and torture, a call the regime.

The collective efforts of Syrian victims, survivors and human rights defenders have led to two historic developments. First, the international arrest warrants for basharal Assad and others, holding them accountable for their role in the use of chemical weapons in Syria. This smart the first ever weren't issued by a foreign court against a sitting head of states for war crimes

and crimes against humanity, a groundbreaking precedent. And second, the first of its kind working group to advance proposals for criminal accountability for chemical weapon us consisting of states from nearly every region of the world coming together to say no to impunity members of the Council. The political dynamics have also hindered access for millions of.

voluntary groups, were the only responders. We did our utmost when the United Nations of this world hesitated, despite legal scholars affirming that it had the authority under international law.

a political stylemate. Meanwhile, it has depoliticized the conflict ruth causes, fueling calls to normalize with this narcotic regime under the gease of pragmatism them.

and internationally to normalize with the regime. But it's in this context that Medenia came into being a collective of over two hundred organizations with members and representatives present with me here today, working across all regions inside Syria and across all sectors inside Syria and the diaspora, and coming together to reclaim political agency to our civic space, not to replace any of the Syrian bodies engaged in the political process, but to assert our rightful role as civic

actors in shaping the political future of our country, and to propose that we use all liveries to incentivize a genuine political solution. Members of the Council, two files Early Recovery and refuse you return are critical here. While sustainable aid through early recovery is overdue, in trusting the Syrian regime with it under mine efforts for political progress, you

are tampering with power dynamics on the ground. You are supposed to be exerting pressures on the regime to cooperate in the political process, not granting it critical files to fortify its grip of power over the.

and violence. Similarly, refugee return must be voluntary, safe and dignified. Yet some Member states misrepresent forced displacement as voluntary returns, portraying Syria as safe and using displacement as a tool for normalization. Those fleeing is rarely a tax and Lebanon or deported from neighboring countries are not returning home. They

are being forcibly displaced. This demands a nuanced response, ensuring support and protection to those in need while addressing the root causes to create conditions for a voluntary return, and how so by incentivizing the political process.

con sessions that can push the political process forward. AID and accountability have been politicized to empower the Syrian regime for long.

The United States remains deeply concerned about the plight of vulnerable individuals Syrian, Lebanese and otherwise who have displaced who have been displaced by the current conflict in Lebanon. We are closely monitoring their well being and treatment, and we applaud the work of UN agencies and other humanitarian partners who are doing their utmost to provide aid to those

in need. At the same time, we are concerned by ongoing reports of the Assaud regimes abuses, including against Syrians displaced from Lebanon, of Syrians who have faced arbitrary detentions, disappearances, forcible conscription, and death while in regime custody, reportedly due to torture. We are also concerned with the escalation of Russia backed to tacks in northwest Syria that have killed

and injured scores. These human rights violations and abuses demonstrate that the regime, which has a long history of oppression, has not changed its ways and is seeking to rehabilitate its image by exploiting humanitarian disasters and regional crises. The reality, colleagues, is that Syria remains unsafe and unsuitable for large numbers of returns. We must reject the flawed notion that certain parts of the country are safe for large scale returns.

The best way to enable the voluntary return of refugees is for the ASSAD regime to create the conditions needed for return, which will require bold political leadership and inclusive political processes. This includes the elimination of Law ten, as well as accountability for the missing and detained, among others. Refugees must not be expected to return until they see

a safe future for themselves and their children. In the meantime, we continue to support UNHCR's efforts to improve the protection environment in Syria for over half a million people IT estimates have crossed from Lebanon since late September. As we continue important work to help the most vulnerable refugees, internally displaced persons and host communities, we once again urge other

donors to help fill the significant funding gaps. It is worth repeating that the u S sanctions Program against this, the Assaud regime contains numerous exemptions and licenses specifically to facilitate humanitarian aid, and that we are committed to working with humanitarian partners to mitigate unintended impacts on their programs. We would also point to Resolution twenty six sixty four, which established a humanitarian carve out across UN sanctions regimes.

This resolution was an important step forward to ease the delivery of food, medicine, and humanitarian aid to those most afflicted in conflict zones around the globe while upholding robust sanctions. We are compelled to make this point because the regime and certain Council members falsely claim, on a repeated basis that u S sanctions are the primary cause of Syrian's economic suffering, when in fact, it is the Assad regime's war against its own people, destruction of Syria, and long

term and pervasive corruption that only benefits the elites. Separately, we wish to highlight persistent needs at al Hull and Raj displace persons camps, as well as at detention facilities in North East Syria housing former ISIS fighters. There are still forty two thousand, five hundred displaced persons and nine

thousand foreign terrorist fighters currently residing at those camps and facilities. Ultimately, the only long term, durable solution to the challenges of these displaced persons, camps and detention facilities is the repatriation or return of both displaced and detained persons to their areas or countries of origin. Only there can be only there can they be effectively rehabilitated and reintegrated into their communities, and,

where appropriate, prosecuted. Turning to the political process, we continue to support Special Envoy Pederson's efforts to advance it. To that end, we reiterate that US sanctions will remain in place until there is at a minimum concrete measurable progress toward a political solution. In line with Resolution twenty two fifty four, we underscore this point again a again because we want to see an authentic and sustainable political process.

We stress once again that the Assad regime must curb the destabilizing activities over on and its proxies in the region. It is telling that instead of sitting down with the opposition and forging peace, the regime prefers to lend out its own country to his Bullah and other terrorists. It is time for Assad to focus on the needs of his own people rather than his sponsors in Tehran who

wish to use Syria as a launching pad. The United States will continue to support Israel's right to defend itself from threats in Syria to prevent further escalation and expansion of conflict in the region. The United States will continue working with our diplomatic partners toward resolving tensions. And finally, Mister President, with regard to charges from some about Western exploitation of Syrian oil and other natural resources, these allegations

are patently false. Syria's natural resources are there for the benefit of the Syrian people. The United States neither sees nor sells any Syrian oil, wheat, or other commodities, including from North Assyria where our troops are present. To the contrary, the United States has provided millions of dollars worth of assistance to communities across North Assyria, helping them restore essential services,

generate livelihoods, and build businesses. In fact, it is the regime that owes an explanation to the Syrian people about how its natural resources have been misused. It is Day who should explain why the proceeds of the country's sovereign wealth end up not in the hands of average citizens, but in Moscow and Tehran. It is day who should explain why virtually any successful business in regime areas get shaken down for bribes or forcibly sold off to regime cronies.

percent of whom are women and children. In addition, Israeli asterisks on targets inside Syria have escalated, resulting in an increase in civilian casualties. Conflicting Gada and Lebanon must not spill over into the entire region and calls for the tragedy. Japan once again calls for immediate ceasefire between Israel and Cibola. We also add all parties to exercise maximum restrained and work diligently toward the diplomatic solution in order to avoid

further escalation in the region. Japan has done its at most to provide assistance to those facing difficulty. On October twenty nine, in response to the deteriorating insituation in Syria affected by conflicting Lebanon the Government of Japan decided to provide a new emergency granted which amounts to ten million US dollars. Through this financial outlay, we will provide humanitary assystems such as daily necessities, hood, water and sanitation through

uncl WWP, UNISF and und mister Present. Even putting the spirit over from Lebanon a side, the humanitarian situation in Syria remains extremely serious. According to the UM contributions to the humanitarian response ran only twenty eight percent of what was requested. As to the problems caused by Labanon crisis, only seventeen percent of the emergency appeal announced in September has been collected. We continue to call on all donors to provide whatever systems they can to address urgent need

of the population. It was a necessary. Ones that are not raised before winter sets in the people of Silia could face even harsher conditions. While we must deal with other pressing issues, we must not abandon Sylian people. Mister President, we emphasize that only solution to the political stalemate in Syria is to advance siia date and syria owned political process.

It is regrettable that more than two years have passed since the last meeting of the Constitutional Committee and people's expectations waiting, so we strongly add that meeting be held as soon as possible. In this connection, we note that twenty second meeting of the Standard Process was held in November eleven to twelfth in Kazakhstan. We hope that this

process will promote confidence building among the parties concerned. Also, we note that especially Ends is currently visiting the region, including Damascus, and we hope that meaning discussions will take place with stakeholders. I mean the present. It is unacceptable that tragic situation of Silian people continues due to the

deadlog in the political process. We call on all parties to resolve the conflict through dialogue so that the flames that are raising in the region can be extinguished and the Silian people and the other innocent can be done to living in Regis. I think.