Security Council Press Statement on Ceasefire in Syria

 

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Gert Rosenthal (Guatemala):

The members of the Security Council welcomed the important and timely initiative of the Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of Arab States, Lakhdar Brahimi, for a ceasefire and a cessation of violence in all its forms during the period of Eid al-Adha, and echoed the joint appeal of the Secretaries-General of the United Nations and the League of Arab States to all regional and international actors to support it. The Members of the Security Council called upon all regional and international actors to use their influence on the parties concerned to facilitate the implementation of the ceasefire and cessation of violence.

The members of the Security Council called upon all parties, in particular on the Government of Syria as the stronger party, to respond positively to the initiative of the Joint Special Representative, and reiterated their call of the Syrian authorities to allow immediate, full and unimpeded access of humanitarian personnel to all populations in need of assistance, in accordance to international law and guiding principles of humanitarian assistance and called upon all parties in Syria, in particular the Syrian authorities, to cooperate fully with the United Nations and relevant humanitarian organizations to facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance.  In this context, the members of the Security Council called upon all Member States to contribute urgently to the United Nations Syrian Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan.

The members of the Council agreed that an Eid al-Adha ceasefire could be a first step towards a sustainable cessation of all violence, in conformity with Security Council resolutions 2042 (2012) and 2043 (2012) and underscored the need to launch an inclusive Syrian-led political transition leading to a democratic, plural, political system that realizes the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people for democracy, equality and justice, regardless of their affiliation, ethnicities or beliefs.

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For information media • not an official record