Security Council Supports Russian Federation-Turkey
Efforts to End Violence in Syria, Jump-start Political Process, Adopting
Resolution 2336 (2016)
The Security Council today unanimously
adopted a resolution supporting efforts by the Russian Federation and Turkey to
end nearly six years of bloodshed in Syria and jump-start a political process.
By the terms of
resolution 2336 (2016), submitted by the Russian Federation and
Turkey, the 15-member Council took note of a package of documents issued by
those countries on 29 December (document S/2016/1133), laying out the
terms of a country-wide ceasefire in Syria to start on 30 December.
The package also outlined agreements reached
on a mechanism to record ceasefire violations; on the regime for applying
sanctions to violators; and on establishing delegations to launch negotiations
in mid-January in Astana, Kazakhstan, on a political settlement aimed at a
comprehensive resolution of the Syrian crisis by peaceful means.
Stressing the importance of fully
implementing all relevant resolutions, particularly
resolutions 2254 (2015) and 2268 (2016), the Council looked
forward to the meeting to be held in Astana between the Syrian Government and
opposition representatives, viewing it as an important part of the Syrian-led
political process, and a “step ahead” of the resumption of negotiations under
United Nations auspices in Geneva on 8 February 2017.
Further, the Council reiterated its call
on parties to allow humanitarian agencies “rapid, safe and unhindered” access
throughout Syria, reiterating that the only sustainable solution to the crisis
was an inclusive, Syrian-led political process, based on the 2012 Geneva
communiqué.
In the ensuing debate, delegates welcomed
the Council’s unanimous support for the ceasefire brokered by the Russian
Federation and Turkey, stressing that it only increased the legitimacy of those
efforts, and confidence in the Council’s own ability to make important
decisions. Some asked for details on the participation of opposition
groups in Astana, humanitarian access and the United Nations role in the Astana
political process, with several noting that the Special Envoy for Syria must
play a key role in those efforts.
The representative of the United States
supported the resolution because it struck the right balance between cautious
optimism and a realistic need to see how it would be implemented. She
expressed regret that annexes to the agreement had not been made available, and
concern over reports of both a regime offensive supported by Hizbullah in the
Wadi Barada village north-west of Damascus, and differences between regime and
delegation documents. She asked for an explanation of why those differences
existed.
The United Kingdom’s representative,
stressing that discrepancies between key texts must be resolved, said
monitoring of the ceasefire would be crucial. The Russian Federation and
Turkey must ensure any such measures were independent and coordinated with both
the United Nations and the International Syria Support Group’s ceasefire task
force.
On that point, France’s delegate said the
Russian-Turkish agreement contained a number of “grey areas”, including whether
the regime was genuinely committed to the ceasefire. The Council had not
received the list of groups included in the agreement, and the level of
commitment of all parties remained uncertain. He also expressed concern
over which groups would be designated as terrorist groups.
At the same time, said Egypt’s
representative, it was critical to act rapidly and launch the diplomatic
process. Real intentions focused on a final political solution were
crucial. Military activity would never solve the crisis, he said, urging Syrian
parties to act responsibly to find a Syrian solution which would protect the
country’s territorial integrity.
Broadly speaking, the representative of
the Russian Federation said today’s resolution spoke to the need for a
cessation of hostilities in Syria and a meeting in Astana where the Syrian
Government and opposition would, for the first time, meet face-to-face. “If you
can’t help and if you don’t want to help, make sure you don’t complicate
things,” he said. The international community must be guided by the goals
of achieving a political settlement in 2017, respecting the interests of
the Syrian people and fostering stability in the region.
Also speaking today were the
representatives of New Zealand, Angola, Venezuela, Ukraine, Uruguay, Senegal,
China, Malaysia, Japan and Spain.
The meeting began at 1:01 p.m. and
ended at 1:44 p.m.
Statements
MICHELE SISON (United States) said that on
Friday Council members learned about the proposed cessation of hostilities
arrangement. While lauding those goals and expressing support for a
ceasefire, she said that Council members were still learning about the details
of the initiative. She also expressed regret that annexes to the
agreement had not been made available. The United States voted in favour
because the resolution “strikes the right balance” between cautious optimism
and a realistic need to see how it would be implemented. She expressed
hope that the ceasefire would hold and not serve as an excuse for further
unjustified offenses. She also expressed concern over reports of a regime
offensive supported by Hizbullah in Wadi Barada. Explanations of what
reconciliation would look like still needed to be addressed. Talks to be
held in Astana next month should relate directly to the United Nations process.
ALEXIS LAMEK (France) said that his country supported
initiatives to save Syrian lives and end the crisis and for those reasons it
had voted in favour of the resolution. He hoped that the ceasefire would
be implemented immediately and that all sides would assume their
responsibilities. The text contained a number of “grey areas”, including
whether the regime was genuinely committed to the ceasefire. The Council
had not received the list of groups included in the agreement. The level
of commitment of all parties remained uncertain. He expressed concern
over which groups would be designated as terrorist groups and said that any
monitoring of the ceasefire must be carried out in line with Security Council
protocol. Preparatory processes for the next peace talks must be in line
with the Geneva communiqué and the process leading up to the Astana meeting
must remain transparent. Discussions on the political transition must
also remain open as they were critical for a just and lasting peace.
GERARD VAN BOHEMEN (New Zealand) welcomed
efforts, especially by the Russian Federation and Turkey, to reduce fighting in
Syria and to work for the adoption of a resolution today that all could
support. The adoption demonstrated what the Council could do when it
worked towards achieving a positive outcome. There were aspects of the
ceasefire that should be clarified, especially regarding the participation of
opposition groups in Astana, groups not participating, humanitarian access and
the United Nations role in the Astana political process. He expressed
hope that clarity would be provided to help get Syria on a path to a lasting
peace.
PETER WILSON (United Kingdom) backed all
efforts to support a nationwide cessation of hostilities in Syria, stressing
that those with influence, especially the Russian Federation and Turkey, must
use that influence to ensure the ceasefire lasted. He expressed concern
over reports of violations on the ground, underscoring that the ceasefire was
the first step required for a return to political negotiations.
Discrepancies between key texts must be resolved. Monitoring of the
ceasefire would be crucial. The Russian Federation and Turkey must ensure
any such measures were independent and coordinated with both the United Nations
and the International Syria Support Group’s ceasefire task force. Success
hinged on implementation of today’s resolution and others, he said, stressing
that all sides must ensure unfettered humanitarian access as required by
resolution 2328 (2016). Talks in Astana must support the United
Nations process led by the Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura.
The ceasefire was fresh and the situation on the ground would evolve. If
it held, he expressed hope it would provide a breakthrough in the wider
political process.
ISMAEL ABRAÃO GASPAR MARTINS (Angola) said
the resolution was a real contribution on the path to peace and stability and
commended the Russian Federation for its central role and Turkey for its part
in the joint agreement. “Obviously, there are no perfect agreements,” he
added, emphasizing that efforts should be concentrated on achieving a common
goal so that the Syrian people could build a nation based on their own
parameters. The resolution constituted an important step to resolving the
conflict and had reinforced chances for long-lasting peace. The fact that
it was unanimously adopted represented a very good way to end the year.
The solution to Syria’s crisis remained political and the text signified
just that.
ALFREDO FERNANDO TORO-CARNEVALI (Venezuela)
said that he was encouraged by the unanimous adoption of the resolution and
called for a comprehensive and peaceful solution to the conflict. He
welcomed the meeting to be held in Astana between the Government of Syria and
the opposition. The agreement forged by the Russian Federation and Turkey
must be included as part of the work of the Special Envoy to Syria, he added,
calling on all regional and international actors to support the process.
VOLODYMYR YELCHENKO (Ukraine) said his
delegation had voted in favour of the resolution because of its focus on a
ceasefire. Although numerous questions lingered, Ukraine supported
efforts to end the bloodshed in Syria. To make the ceasefire work,
confidence and trust must be built among all parties, which had been missing
after so many years. Reports of violence in Wadi Barada testified to the
fragility of the situation. He cautioned that, given the “sad track
record” of broken ceasefires, it would be prudent for the Council to keep a watchful
eye on developments as it entered the new year.
LUIS BERMÚDEZ (Uruguay) said that while
the resolution could be improved, he welcomed that it had garnered unanimous
support. Recalling that resolution 2328 (2016) had allowed for
additional consultations, he said that that text, together with the package of
documents, had allowed for today’s adoption. He urged implementation of
resolutions 2254 (2015) and 2268 (2016), with negotiations to be
in Astana to be harmonized with the United Nations-led peace process. He
expressed hope that the cessation of hostilities would last and that peace
talks would resume.
AMR ABDELLATIF ABOULATTA (Egypt) said his
country had focused on ending the Syrian conflict by giving priority to the
well-being of the Syrian people. Egypt had voted in favour of all
resolutions in the Security Council on Syria and had supported initiatives that
would give humanitarian access and aid to the Syrian people regardless of which
party tabled the text. With today’s resolution calling for an end to
hostilities, it was critical to act rapidly and launch the diplomatic process.
Real intentions focused on resulting in a final political solution were
crucial. Military activity would never solve the crisis, he said, urging Syrian
parties to act in a responsible way to find a Syrian solution which would
protect the country’s territorial integrity.
FODÉ SECK (Senegal) said that there were
no military solutions to the lengthy and protracted Syrian crisis. The
only solution likely to resolve the crisis was a political one based on the
Geneva Communique and relevant Security Council resolutions which referred to
rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access to the Syrian people. He also
expressed gratitude to the Russian Federation for its role in the creation of
the text.
WU HAITAO (China) welcomed the ceasefire
between Syria and the opposition, as well as efforts by the Russian Federation
and Turkey. The resolution’s unanimous adoption had shown the support for
a comprehensive ceasefire in Syria and was conducive to building trust,
advancing the political process, easing the humanitarian situation and
combating terrorism. Expressing hope that parties would implement the
ceasefire, he called on all opposition groups to join the ceasefire
arrangement. The international community’s efforts should be based on
respect for the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and
focused on relaunching the political process, as was as implementing the
2012 Geneva communiqué and Council resolutions 2254 (2015)
and 2268 (2016). He expressed hope that the relaunching of
peace talks by the Special Envoy in February would achieve a positive
result. The Astana meeting marked an important step towards relaunching
the Geneva talks and he expressed hope it would push forward a political
settlement. He called on the parties to return to dialogue.
SITI HAJJAR ADNIN (Malaysia) recalled
that, weeks ago, the Council had endorsed the evacuation operation out of eastern
Aleppo, with the deployment of United Nations personnel to monitor those
efforts. Under a similarly dynamic situation, the Council today had
discharged its responsibility. She welcomed efforts by the Russian
Federation and Turkey, convinced that the Council’s backing of the ceasefire
would only lend to its legitimacy. The Council had pronounced its
undivided support for the Special Envoy’s efforts to bring parties to the
negotiating table, and that only a political process would resolve the conflict.
She expressed hope that its support would lead to a more productive
dialogue and that its positive momentum would continue to gather strength in
the coming weeks.
KORO BESSHO (Japan) said the United
Nations should coordinate humanitarian assistance efforts under the current
cessation of hostilities arrangement. “We do not want to hear any more
reports by the United Nations and other implementing partners of obstructions,”
he said, urging the Syrian Government to take measures to allow immediate and
unhindered access and calling on guarantors of the cessation of hostilities to
give more details on a monitoring mechanism. Expressing concern over
reports of the possibility of another indiscriminate attack against civilians
in a Damascus suburb or Idlib, he urged the Russian Federation and Turkey to
fully address those concerns. He also looked forward to the Astana
meeting and urged key stakeholders to participate in the political process.
VITALY CHURKIN (Russian Federation) said
he didn’t intend to speak at the Council today as the resolution spoke for
itself and thanked Turkey for its substantive work on the text. “All of
us know that this has been a very difficult year,” he said, emphasizing that
closing 2016 with the adoption of two resolutions on Syria demonstrated that
“we are able to make important decisions”. Numerous meetings had led to
serious agreements, but as many of them remained unfulfilled, the Russian
Federation and Turkey had taken it upon themselves to reach the vital
arrangement just adopted by the Council. The text spoke to the need of a
cessation of hostilities in Syria and the important meeting in Astana during
which the Government and opposition would meet in face-to-face negotiations for
the first time. It was very important that the Council back such
efforts. He said he wanted to in the most delicate of ways hint that
everything that was accomplished today was the result of enormous effort.
“If you can’t help and if you don’t want to help, make sure you don’t
complicate things,” he said. “Don’t cast doubt and don’t just repeat
outdated clichés.” The international community must be guided by
the interests of the Syrian people and the stability of the region as a whole.
ROMÁN OYARZUN MARCHESI (Spain), Council
President for December, spoke in his national capacity, saying that he had
voted in favour of the resolution and welcomed its unanimous adoption.
Thanking Turkey and the Russian Federation for having reached a cessation of
hostilities, he said monitoring of the ceasefire must be transparent and
impartial, with timely information passed to the Council. The political
process must be carried out under United Nations auspices, with the Special
Envoy playing a role in that regard. He stressed the need to not
losing sight of resolutions 2254 (2015) and 2268 (2016),
welcoming the modifications made to today’s text. Member States had
played a key role in peacebuilding processes and they had much to contribute to
future efforts. Only a democratic and united Syria could bring about an
end to the terrorism perpetrated by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL/Da’esh).
Resolution
The
full text of resolution 2336 (2016) reads as follows:
“The Security Council
“Recalling all its previous
resolutions and presidential statements on the situation in the Syrian Arab
Republic, in particular resolutions 2254 (2015)
and 2268 (2016), and the Geneva communiqué of 30 June 2012,
“Reaffirming its strong commitment to
the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian
Arab Republic, and to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United
Nations,“Noting the joint statement by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs
of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Russian Federation and the Republic of
Turkey of 20 December 2016,
“Noting with appreciation the
mediation efforts undertaken by the Russian Federation and the Republic of
Turkey to facilitate the establishment of a ceasefire in the Syrian Arab
Republic,
“Reiterating its call on the parties
to allow humanitarian agencies rapid, safe and unhindered access throughout Syria,
as provided for in its relevant resolutions,
“Reiterating that the only
sustainable solution to the current crisis in the Syrian Arab Republic is
through an inclusive and Syrian-led political process based on the Geneva
communiqué of 30 June 2012 as endorsed by
resolution 2118 (2013), its resolutions 2254 (2015)
and 2268 (2016) and relevant statements of the International Syria
Support Group,
“1. Welcomes and
supports the efforts by Russia and Turkey to end violence in Syria and
jumpstart a political process, and takes note of the documents issued
by Russia and Turkey in this regard (S/2016/1133);
“2. Stresses the
importance of the full implementation of all relevant Security Council
resolutions, particularly resolutions 2254 (2015)
and 2268 (2016);
“3. Looks forward to
the meeting to be held in Astana, Kazakhstan, between the Government of the Syrian
Arab Republic and the representatives of the opposition viewing it as an
important part of the Syrian-led political process and an important step ahead
of the resumption of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations in
Geneva on 8 February 2017;
“4. Decides to
remain seized of the matter.”
http://www.un.org/press/en/2016/sc12663.doc.htm
