By violating the last de‑escalation zone in the Syria conflict, the Russian Federation and Iran are not demonstrating a commitment to protecting civilian lives, and it is absurd to think the world will pay for reconstruction as they pummel Idlib, the representative of the United States told the Security Council today.
The Secretary-General, en route to Ghana for the memorial service for the late former Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, called Mr. Annan “a man who embodied United Nations values” and was a voice for the voiceless who did not shy away from the most challenging issues, but worked to bridge differences.
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks on Syria, in New York today:
In Bangkok, the Climate Change Conference ended on 9 September with an urgent call for accelerated climate action. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Executive Secretary said that the Conference had resulted in “uneven progress” on the guidelines to implement the Paris Agreement.
The Syrian Government and its partners — currently poised at the brink of a massive military strike against the north‑west province of Idlib — must urgently rethink its strategy, the Security Council heard today, as delegates sounded the alarm about such repercussions as mass civilian casualties and the flood of up to 700,000 refugees into neighbouring countries, Europe and beyond.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) welcomed Qatar’s decision to end exit visa requirements for most of its migrant workers. ILO Director-General Guy Ryder said in a tweet that this is a “positive step towards decent work”, adding that the agency is committed to working with the Government of Qatar as it pursues further reforms. The Secretary-General adds his welcome to the voice of ILO.
Despite progress being made, not only was the international community’s confidence in Syria’s full elimination of its chemical weapons programme dependent upon the United Nations being able to close outstanding issues, but the lack of an accountability mechanism was a missing step in taking to task those responsible for using chemical weapons, a senior United Nations disarmament official told the Security Council today.
Virginia Gamba, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, will be conducting her first-ever mission in South Sudan between 4 and 8 September. She intends to take stock of progress and challenges in the implementation of action plans to end and prevent grave violations against children.
The Special Envoy for Syria warned of what he called a possible “perfect storm” in Idlib due to the potential military escalation in the area. He stressed that 2.9 million lives are at stake in Idlib, which is the largest of the so‑called de‑escalation areas.
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary‑General António Guterres:
