Statement by Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, Permanent Representative of India to the UN, at a UNSC Briefing on Syria political-humanitarian situation

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November 29, 2022

 

Mr. President,

Let me begin by thanking the briefers, Special Envoy Geir Pedersen and Under Secretary General Martin Griffiths for their briefings.

  1. India supports UN Secretary General’s call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any further escalation. We must attach utmost importance to maintaining the ceasefire agreed between the various parties in March 2020 and reiterate utmost respect for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
  2. We are gravely concerned about reports of the impact of increase in hostilities against civilians, including in IDP (Internally Displaced Person) camps in Idlib. We emphasize that civilian and civilian infrastructure must continue to be protected in accordance with international law. Such acts of violence by neighbouring states set us back on the pursuit for a nationwide ceasefire, as mandated by UNSCR 2254, that was unanimously adopted by this Council in 2015.

Mr. President,

  1. India continues to support the Special Envoy’s ‘step by step’ approach; for in our view his efforts towards making incremental progress by engaging with all parties is the only way to end this protracted conflict, which is now in its twelfth year. To this end, we support Special Envoys engagements with Damascus and the Astana Guarantors as well as with other regional partners like UAE, Lebanon and Jordan. We need to continue to build bridges of trust between all sides.
  2. On the humanitarian side, as Syria stares at a long and hard winter, the outbreak of cholera has further added to the woes of Syrian people. We continue to urge for greater donor support for the humanitarian resource plan for Syria, which remains chronically under-funded and woefully inadequate to meet the humanitarian needs of over 15 million Syrians. We continue to call on OCHA to further increase the focus on early recovery projects including power, water and health services, which are also meant to generate livelihood opportunities and support for the most vulnerable sections of the Syrian population including the elderly, women and children. We must not politicize humanitarian development.
  3. We also look forward to the discussion on the Secretary General’s report on humanitarian assistance to Syria due in December.

Mr. President,

  1. While it is true that all modalities of aid delivery must be explored for delivering aid to Syria, we continue to believe that the cross-border aid mechanism cannot be allowed to become an end in itself. We call upon OCHA and other UN agencies to continue to hold constructive engagement with Damascus for ensuring greater efficacy for cross-line aid operations.
  2. As the Chair of the Counter Terrorism Committee of this Council, we continue to be concerned by reports of resurgence of ISIS in the region and continue to call on all sides to tackle the menace of terrorism with utmost seriousness.
  3. Finally, Mr. President, let me conclude with a brief report on the recent successful visit by Syria’s Foreign Minister to India. During the visit, discussions focused on reconstruction of Syria, including through extending humanitarian assistance and developmental support, capacity building for Syrian youth as well as collaboration in sectors like renewable energy, IT and pharmaceuticals. India has already established a Next Generation Centre for Information-Technology in Damascus last October and provided over 1500 individual scholarships including about 200 scholarships this year for Syrian students to continue their studies in India in diverse streams. We have recently organized artificial limb fitment camps (Jaipur Foot) in Damascus for the benefit of the Syrian population. India has offered lines of credit worth USD 280 million for building a power plant and a steel plant in the country.
  4. To conclude, we stand ready to do more in the coming to help our Syrian brothers and sisters in their hour of need. India’s continued support to Syria in its endeavor for seeking lasting peace and stability remains steadfast and unwavering.

I thank you.

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