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Thank you, Mr. President.
And let me also thank Deputy Special Envoy Cordone and Under Secretary
General Tom Fletcher for their briefings.
Mr. President,
Last month this council stood united in recognizing Syria’s efforts to avoid
direct involvement in the broader regional conflict. It is crucial to remain
focused on this.
It also requires that regional actors respect Syria's sovereignty, independence
and territorial integrity.
We must allow Syria to focus on the immense challenges ahead for the
political and societal transition to a peaceful and just New Syria.
Today, I will make three points in this regard.
First, we acknowledge the recent historical steps taken on transitional justice.
The transitional government’s commitment to an independent, credible and
transparent Syrian-led process is of vital importance.
Syria has an opportunity to break with decades of impunity for atrocity
crimes. To bring perpetrators to justice. Not only to ensure justice for
victims, but also to prevent and deter future violations and to pave the way
for reconciliation and lasting peace.
We stress that the fight for justice must be rooted in human rights. This
includes addressing grave violations committed by all perpetrators, regardless
of political affiliation, and to give all victims access to justice. We urge Syria’s
authorities to embrace a genuinely victim-centred process.
Denmark remains concerned that a comprehensive legal framework for
transparent and inclusive transitional justice has yet to be adopted. As a
result, current efforts risk violating due process guarantees and may fall short
of international standards. We therefore call for the swift adoption and
effective implementation of relevant legislation in consultation with civil
society and international partners.
Second, Mr President,
The full appointment of the people’s assembly must be concluded without
delay. We welcome recent steps taken towards facilitating elections in North
East Syria including the establishment of judicial panels in several
constituencies.
And we hope to see similar progress on the election of candidates from
Suweida when possible, as well as appointments of the last one third of
members of the assembly by the president al-Sharaa, in the near future.
Denmark underscores once again that the rich diversity of Syria must be
thoroughly represented in the final composition of the people’s assembly. We
reiterate the call for an inclusive political process and for the full, equal and
meaningful participation and representation of women.
Third,
Humanitarian assistance must be sustained in parallel to initiating recovery
and reconstruction efforts where possible.
While the recent closure of the cross-border operation from Türkiye is a
testimony to how far Syria has come since the fall of the Assad regime, it
does not mean that we can decrease our focus on responding to the
humanitarian needs of the Syrian people.
As highlighted by the USG, millions of people are caught in poverty and
remain dependent on humanitarian aid.
Therefore, funding must be sustained and access must continuously be
secured.
Simultaneously, the lifting of most sanctions and the reestablishment of trade
relations open the door to renewed investment – a crucial step towards
rebuilding Syria’s economy. This will enable the sustainable return and
reintegration of refugees and IDPs, and end dependence on humanitarian aid.
The full restoration of the EU-Syria cooperation agreement, announced this
week, is a part of this important progress.
Mr. President, in closing,
For the first time in far too long, many Syrians are allowing themselves to
hope for a safer and more stable future.
The international community must help transform that hope into lasting
reality — through continued support, cooperation, and commitment to
peace.
I thank you.
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