Syrian Arab Republic

Mr. President, Mr. Dennis Francis, President of the General Assembly,

I would like to begin by congratulating you on your election as President of the General Assembly at its current session, and to thank your predecessor, Mr. Csaba Kőrösi, for his presidency of the previous session. I also thank His Excellency the Secretary-General for the efforts he is exerting to implement the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations in accordance with the mandate entrusted to him.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Our world today is witnessing important transformations and a growing number of serious challenges, foremost among them the outbreak of destructive conflicts in many regions around the world, the continued occupation of some of the world's peoples, the spread of the scourge of terrorism, declining rates of development, a sharp rise in poverty and hunger rates, in addition to the catastrophic effects resulting from unilateral coercive measures and economic blockade policies, as well as the negative repercussions resulting from climate change and the related natural disasters it brings about.

Confronting all these challenges is an urgent necessity for all of us, given their impact on the future of our coming generations. Eliminating them, or at least minimizing their effects, requires global cooperation among Member States, solidarity among them, and the combining of their efforts to build a multipolar global order that achieves a new balance in international relations, including through the reform of international institutions, foremost among them the Security Council, and the achievement of sustainable development that ensures the benefit and welfare of all the peoples of the world.

The policies of creative chaos adopted by successive American administrations in our region, in the service of their geopolitical and selfish interests, have led to the destabilization of security and stability therein, as they worked to fabricate and inflate problems in order to ignite tensions and subsequently conflicts, spent billions of dollars to demolish and destroy the developmental achievements accomplished over decades, and contributed to the emergence of the phenomenon of extremism and terrorism, such as the terrorist organizations "ISIS" and "Jabhat al-Nusra."

Multilateralism, the Charter of the United Nations, and other relevant international agreements have not been spared from this American creative chaos. Over the past ten years, we have witnessed an increasing tendency to misinterpret and misapply the provisions of the Charter, particularly Article 51 thereof, and to use it as a pretext to justify assaults committed against the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of other States, as well as the manipulation of the texts

of international agreements and treaties, and the politicization of human rights issues to justify interference in the internal affairs of other States and pressure upon them.

Mr. President,

The fundamental principle emphasized by the Charter of the United Nations is respect for the sovereignty and independence of Member States and the unity and integrity of their territories. Consequently, any acquisition of the territory of others by force constitutes occupation, and any illegitimate military presence on the territory of any sovereign State is a flagrant violation of this Charter and a clear violation of international law that must end immediately and unconditionally. Accordingly, Israel's occupation of Arab territories in Palestine and the Syrian Golan since 1967 to this day, and what it entails in terms of settlement construction, alteration of the demographic composition and institutional structure — particularly through attempts to forcibly impose Israeli nationality on the residents of the occupied Golan — not to mention the plundering of the Golan's natural resources, the seizure of the lands of Syrian farmers to erect massive wind turbines on them, and other documented violations, constitutes the most heinous forms of grave and systematic violations of the Charter of the United Nations and international humanitarian law.

Syria has supported, and continues to support, the Palestinian cause, considering it the central Arab cause, and has spared no effort in standing by the brotherly Palestinian people in their legitimate struggle to restore their legitimate rights, particularly their right to establish their independent State on their land with Jerusalem as its capital, and to grant Palestine full membership in the United Nations.

What we have witnessed this year in terms of a dangerous escalation of Israeli criminal practices, whose number of victims has reached its highest level, is pushing the region to unprecedented levels of tension and instability. This is manifested in the further massacres it commits, the escalation of its military aggression, and its repeated missile bombardment of Syrian cities, ports, and civilian airports, which has endangered the lives of civilians and the safety of civil aviation, and has impeded the United Nations' humanitarian operations. This is in addition to

its continued policies of settlement, Judaization, blockade, arbitrary detention, forced displacement, and racial discrimination in the occupied Arab territories.

While the Syrian Arab Republic condemns in the strongest terms all Israeli crimes and aggressions, it likewise denounces the continued support for such practices, or silence regarding them, on the part of some States that portray themselves as protectors of international humanitarian law and human rights law, which makes them complicit with the perpetrators of these crimes and clearly demonstrates the extent of the double standards they practice.

The Syrian Arab Republic reaffirms its legitimate right to recover the entire occupied Syrian Golan up to the line of 4 June 1967, however long that may take. This is an established right that is not subject to bargaining or pressure and does not lapse with time; it is guaranteed by international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, particularly Security Council resolution 497 of 1981. Syria also stresses that it will exercise its legitimate right to defend its territory and its people by all necessary means, and to ensure the accountability of the Israeli occupation authorities for all their crimes, and that they shall not escape punishment.

Mr. President,

The continuation of the Israeli occupation of Arab territories and its brutal practices is mirrored by the subversive role played by certain States in parts of Syrian territory, as the United States and Turkey continue to violate Syria's sovereignty and territorial unity and integrity by insisting on maintaining their illegitimate military presence on Syrian soil and supporting separatist militias and terrorist organizations. In addition, there are the visits made by Western political and military officials and others to Syrian territory through covert infiltration, with no respect whatsoever for Syria's sovereignty and independence, constituting blatant interference in its internal affairs.

Moreover, the systematic and flagrant American plundering of the Syrian people's national wealth, such as oil, gas, and wheat, has deprived Syrians of their resources and has aggravated their humanitarian suffering to an unprecedented degree. Our latest statistics show that the total value of the direct and indirect losses they have caused

to the oil sector in Syria has exceeded $115 billion, and we believe that the United Nations is obligated to hold the United States accountable and demand that it return these plundered funds to the Syrian government.

In parallel with all of this, the United States and its European allies continue to impose illegitimate, immoral, and inhumane unilateral coercive measures on various sectors in Syria, which have only served to exacerbate the suffering of Syrians wherever they may be, given that their impact extends to third countries. The Secretary-General has noted in his reports the impact of these measures on United Nations procurement and payments. These States deliberately extend their measures to cover the public health sector, the banking sector, the air transport sector and Syrian civil aviation equipment, and the energy sector — including a ban on the supply of oil and its derivatives to Syria or the import of power stations and equipment related to power generation and spare parts. This also includes a ban on importing equipment and machinery necessary for the supply of drinking water, irrigation, water disinfection and purification, and the repair and improvement of the sewage system. Nor has the agricultural sector been spared from these unilateral sanctions, as they include a ban on importing fertilizers and machinery necessary for the agricultural production that provides food for Syrians.

Mr. President,

Syria was among the most stable and prosperous countries in the world; it achieved self-sufficiency in food and secured all the basic requirements of life for its people to a degree with few parallels in the region. However, the terrorist war waged against it since 2011 changed this situation and caused a humanitarian crisis of no small magnitude, exacerbated further by the imposition of unilateral coercive measures. Recently, the devastating earthquake that struck Syria on 6 February of this year added a new burden and further suffering. The earthquake destroyed hundreds of buildings, infrastructure, and service facilities, caused thousands of casualties and injuries, and left tens of thousands homeless.

The Syrian Government has been keen to provide all necessary facilitation for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and relief workers to all affected areas, and has granted — and continues to grant — open approvals to the United Nations and international organizations operating in Syria to facilitate and expedite the entry procedures for emergency relief supplies

to support those affected, including opening border crossings by sovereign decision to facilitate the humanitarian response in affected areas under the control of terrorist organizations in northwest Syria.

In this regard, the Syrian Arab Republic renews its thanks and appreciation to all the States that have shown solidarity with Syria and its people, and that moved swiftly to respond to the needs of the Syrian people amid the difficult circumstances they faced. It also expresses its appreciation to the Secretary-General of the United Nations for launching the urgent appeal to respond to the catastrophic repercussions of the earthquake.

The Syrian Government continues — within its limited capabilities — to exert every effort to deal with the effects of the earthquake in the four affected governorates. In May of this year, the President of the Republic issued a decree establishing the National Fund to Support Those Affected by the Earthquake, with the aim of providing financial support to them and helping them overcome the physical, material, or psychological harm they have suffered. This decree represents a key pillar of the basic directions and the national action plan adopted by the Syrian Government to address the repercussions of the earthquake from various aspects, and to move from the emergency response phase of relief efforts to the recovery phase from its effects.

The Syrian Arab Republic reaffirms once again that improving the humanitarian situation in Syria requires the provision of sustainable solutions to support Syrians, particularly after the earthquake. This means increasing the size and number of early recovery projects in a way that reduces reliance on life-saving humanitarian assistance, increases the resilience of Syrians, and creates conditions for a dignified and voluntary return of the displaced and refugees to their areas. However, this requires securing the necessary funding through international donors fulfilling the pledges they have committed to.

Mr. President,

With regard to the issue of the return of refugees, the Syrian Arab Republic declares from this podium its readiness to welcome the return of every Syrian refugee who has left his home, village, or city, and calls on its citizens who were forced by terrorist organizations to seek refuge to return to their homeland. The Syrian State has taken all necessary decisions in this regard, and we are cooperating with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and with the Arab

Contact Committee to achieve this noble goal. In this regard, I call upon those Western States that ask refugees not to return to their homeland to stop these inhumane practices.

In parallel with all of this, Syria has dealt positively with the efforts and initiatives put forward within the framework of the political track, having supported the approach of local settlements and national reconciliations as a way of restoring normalcy to various parts of the homeland and strengthening national unity and the cohesion of Syrian society. It has also participated in the meetings held in the Astana format, welcomed their outcomes, and maintained continuous communication with the Special Envoy for Syria.

Mr. President,

The Arab Summit held in May in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, achieved a major accomplishment, as it restored the luster of the collective Arab position and the momentum of joint Arab action. During it, Arab States affirmed their support for Syria in preserving its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and in overcoming the difficult circumstances it has faced as a result of the terrorist war it confronted, the economic sanctions imposed upon it, and the repercussions of the devastating earthquake that struck it.

Syria expresses its support for and solidarity with the Libyan people in the face of the repercussions of the hurricane and floods that struck them, as well as with the Moroccan people in the wake of the devastating earthquake that struck them.

Syria reaffirms its support for the right of the Russian Federation to defend itself and protect its national security in response to aggressive Western policies. In doing so, it is not only defending itself but also our collective right to reject the logic of Western hegemony and unipolarity.

Syria commends the constructive and responsible approach of the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, from which the United States withdrew unilaterally and unlawfully, and calls upon the United States and its Western allies to meet Iran's legitimate demands.

Syria supports the One-China principle and endorses the positions of the People's Republic of China in confronting attempts at foreign interference in its internal affairs, whether in Taiwan, Hong Kong, or Xinjiang, and stresses China's inalienable right to take whatever measures and steps it deems necessary to defend

its sovereignty, particularly in the face of the unprecedented escalation and provocative policy practiced against it by the United States of America.

Syria condemns the economic blockade imposed on Cuba for decades, including the American administration's extension of the so-called "Trading with the Enemy Act." Syria also calls for a halt to the military movements and exercises being conducted by the United States on the Korean Peninsula, which lead to an escalation of tension in that region.

Syria also demands the lifting of all forms of unilateral coercive measures imposed by Western States on the Russian Federation, Iran, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Belarus, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Zimbabwe, Eritrea, and against my country, Syria, and considers them economic terrorism no less brutal or dangerous than armed terrorism, in terms of their catastrophic humanitarian effects on the targeted peoples.

In conclusion, Mr. President,

The podium of the United Nations General Assembly was created to be a platform for dialogue and public diplomacy among Member States, not a platform for launching false accusations or waging hostile campaigns against one another.

Therefore, we look forward to this current session of the General Assembly, under your leadership, being able to fulfill the slogan you have raised, namely: "Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all," by working to translate it into genuine and serious action that contributes to giving all States fair opportunities that ensure no one is left behind, and that also consolidates the position and standing of the General Assembly as the most broadly representative organ within the United Nations.