UNITED NATIONS THIRD COMMITTEE: INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE WITH THE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY ON SYRIA
STATEMENT BY YUNEI KIM, FIRST SECRETARY, AUSTRALIAN MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS
1 November 2024
Thank you Chair.
13 years since the conflict’s start, the Syrian civilian population continues to endure unimaginable hardship and suffering.
Persistent armed conflict, deteriorating socioeconomic conditions, the deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure, and violations of human rights are all of deep concern.
[Displaced Syrians are returning to Syria out of desperation spawned by the escalating regional conflict. There are concerning reports that Syrians have been extorted as they move through the country to places of relative safety. The rights of Syrians must be protected wherever they are.
While conflict levels have dropped relative to earlier years, tensions persist along conflict lines. We condemn recent escalation and indiscriminate bombing in the north-west, Da’esh attacks in the east and attacks by Iranian-backed militias against US and Coalition bases.
All parties need to prioritise de-escalation and a return to UN Security Council Resolution 2254.
We remain concerned by the fate of those forcibly detained and missing.
Chair, credible reports suggest that over 100,000 Syrians remain missing, yet Syrian authorities continue to obstruct families’ efforts to gather information about their loved ones.
This underscores the critical need for the work of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria. Australia calls for all parties to cooperate fully with the Institution.
Those detained by the Syrian regime and other armed actors face harrowing fates. Australia strongly condemns the routine use of torture and cruel and inhuman punishment, including sexual and gender-based violence, in detention facilities.
Each year, the number of Syrian people requiring humanitarian assistance rises. [Humanitarian assistance saves lives in Syria, and it must continue.
That’s why Australia has provided $21.5 million in humanitarian assistance to Syria and to refugee assistance programs in Jordan and Lebanon.
But humanitarian aid is not a long-term answer. Political crises require political solutions.
Chair, how can States motivate parties to the conflict to re-engage with UN Security Council Resolution 2254?
Thank you.