I will make three points today.
First, a little over two months have passed since the interim authorities took control of Damascus, offering hope for a brighter future and a more peaceful future for the Syrian people.
We are encouraged by efforts made in the weeks since and we welcome the interim authorities’ pledges to form an inclusive transitional government, leading to free and fair elections.
We welcome the engagement between the Special Envoy, his office and the interim authorities and his plans to return to Damascus shortly.
As the Special Envoy has said, Syria’s political transition cannot afford to fail.
As Syrians take the next steps towards a political process, we expect to see appointments to the transitional government and the recently announced Legislative Council and the Preparatory Committee which represent the diversity of Syrian society.
We hope there will be a clear process and timeline for this next phase of the transition, which respects the rights and safety of all Syrians.
Second, we have been clear, as others have too, that Syrians should chart their own future and that a political process should be Syrian-owned and Syrian-led.
However, as Special Envoy Pederson and ASG Msuya both reminded us, it is essential that the international community step in and support as the challenges are vast and humanitarian needs acute.
It is imperative that the UN, alongside the international community, plays a vital role in supporting Syrians to stabilise and then rebuild their country.
The deep scars and the damage of over a decade of conflict cannot be healed in a matter of months.
Last week the UK, working with the World Food Programme, committed over $3.7 million to the ‘Grain from Ukraine’ initiative which will enable Ukraine to support the most vulnerable Syrians and alleviate suffering.
So we endorse the Special Envoy’s call that we must also take this opportunity to scale up early recovery and sustainable programming to enable Syrians to feed themselves, to keep the lights on, to create jobs and build a better future.
Finally, we welcome the visit to Damascus of the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons on 8 February.
This marks a positive step forward.
We must use this window of opportunity and the work to support the OPCW and Syria to declare and destroy Assad’s remaining chemical weapons programme, for a more stable and secure Syria.
