Guterres: The Syrian people have suffered from the greatest crimes the world has seen
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, affirmed that what happened to the Syrian people during the past ten years was one of the “greatest crimes” the world had witnessed, calling for “accountability for the perpetrators.”
Guterres said in a press conference at the permanent headquarters of the United Nations in New York, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the start of the Syrian revolution, that 10 years ago, “the violent suppression of peaceful popular protests in Syria put the country on the path of a terrible war.”
He described the situation in Syria as “it is still a living nightmare, and it is impossible to fully understand the extent of the devastation inflicted on Syria completely, but its people have suffered from the greatest crimes the world has witnessed in this century.”
He added that the Syrians had been subjected to “massive and systematic human rights violations with absolute impunity, and emphasized that the use of chemical weapons caused untold suffering.”
He stressed the need for the United Nations to continue its pursuit of a political settlement in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254.
He continued: “The scale of the atrocities shock the conscience, and the perpetrators must be held accountable if lasting peace is to prevail in Syria.”
The Secretary-General referred to the siege of cities and starvation of civilians, noting that the parties to the conflict have imposed unjustifiable restrictions on humanitarian aid.
“The parties have an opportunity to show their willingness to find common ground and acknowledge the need for all Syrians, who represent them, to overcome the protracted conflict situation,” he noted.
He stressed that this is the path that will lead to a solution that meets the legitimate aspirations of all Syrians, creates the necessary conditions for the return of refugees in safety and dignity, and respects Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence.
Guterres called for more to be done to enable access to humanitarian aid, as massive deliveries across lines inside Syria and across borders are essential to reach all those in need everywhere.
“That is why I have repeatedly urged the Security Council to achieve consensus on this crucial issue.”
In response to a journalist’s question about whether the international community has failed the Syrians, Mr. Guterres said that it is clear that if a war continues for 10 years, the existing international security management system is ineffective.
Being able to intervene when there are such dramatic and protracted situations.
Unfortunately, the mechanisms in place we have today are not able to fully respond to this challenge.
