"It is necessary to build a new multipolar world based on solidarity and international relations"
Speech by Bassam Sabbah, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Syria, at the final day of the 78th Session of the UNGA. teleSUR
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00:00 We return to the United Nations Headquarters.
00:04 Let's listen to the statements of the SIGON representative.
00:07 ... various challenges, foremost being the outbreak of devastating conflicts in many
00:13 regions around the world, the continued occupation of some peoples of the world, the spread of
00:19 the scourge of terrorism, declining rates of development, and a sharp rise in the rates
00:27 of poverty and hunger, in addition to the catastrophic impacts of the unilateral coercive
00:33 measures, that's in addition to the economic blockade policies and the negative repercussions
00:42 of climate change and its related natural disasters.
00:51 Confronting all these challenges is an urgent need for us all, as they reflect on the future
01:00 of the generations to come.
01:03 Eliminating them or mitigating their impact to a minimum requires global cooperation among
01:08 member states.
01:10 It also requires solidarity and concerted effort to build a new multipolar world order
01:17 that achieves a new balance in international relations, including through reforming international
01:24 institutions and other institutions, foremost the Security Council.
01:30 It also requires true sustainable development that guarantees the benefit and well-being
01:36 of all peoples of the world.
01:39 Mr. President, the policies of creative chaos adopted by successive American administrations
01:46 in our region to serve their geopolitical and selfish interests have led to destabilization
01:55 and insecurity.
01:57 They work to create and exaggerate problems to ignite tension, thereby resulting in conflicts.
02:05 They spent billions of dollars to demolish and destroy development achievements made
02:11 over decades.
02:13 They contributed to the emergence of the phenomenon of extremism and terrorism, such as the terrorist
02:19 organizations ISIL and Al-Nusra Front.
02:23 Multilateralism, the United Nations Charter and other relevant international agreements
02:29 were not spared from this creative American chaos.
02:34 Over the past 10 years, we have witnessed an increasing tendency to misinterpret and
02:39 misapply the provisions of the Charter, especially Article 51 thereof.
02:45 They were used as an excuse to justify attacks against the sovereignty, independence and
02:52 territorial integrity of other countries.
02:56 They manipulated the provisions of international conventions and treaties and politicized human
03:02 rights issues to justify interfering in the internal affairs of other countries and bringing
03:09 pressure to bear on them.
03:11 Mr. President, the basic principle affirmed by the Charter of the United Nations is the
03:20 respect of sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of member states.
03:26 Thus, any acquisition of land of others by force is an occupation.
03:32 Any illegal military presence on the territory of a sovereign state is a clear violation
03:38 of this Charter and a plain breach of international law.
03:42 It must end immediately without preconditions or limitations.
03:48 Accordingly, Israel's occupation of the Arab lands in Palestine and the Syrian Golan since
03:57 1967 until this very day and the resulting and consequent construction of settlement,
04:08 breach of the demographic composition, institutional structure, especially through attempts to
04:15 forcefully impose the Israeli citizenship on the people of the Golan, not to mention
04:21 the plundering of the natural resources of the Golan, the seizure of Syrian farmers'
04:25 lands to build huge wind turbines and other documented violations, all of the above represent
04:33 the most heinous forms of grave and systematic violations of the UN Charter and of international
04:39 humanitarian law.
04:41 The Syrian Arab Republic reaffirms its legitimate right to restore the entire occupied Syrian
04:50 Golan after the line of June 4, 1967, no matter how long it takes.
04:57 It is an inalienable right that is not subject to compromise or pressure and is not subject
05:04 to the statute of limitations.
05:06 It is guaranteed by international law and relevant UN resolutions, especially Security
05:11 Council Resolution No. 497 of the year 1981.
05:17 Syria also stresses that it will exercise its legitimate right to defend its land and
05:23 people by all necessary means and to ensure that the Israeli occupation authorities are
05:28 held accountable for all their crimes with no impunity.
05:34 Mr. President, Syria has and remains a supporter of the Palestinian cause, as it is the central
05:44 Arab cause.
05:46 Syria has spared no effort to stand alongside the brotherly Palestinian people in their
05:51 legitimate struggle to regain their legitimate rights, especially their right to establish
05:57 their independent statehood on their land with Jerusalem as its capital and to grant
06:04 Palestine full membership in the United Nations.
06:10 What we have witnessed this year of dangerous escalation of Israeli criminal practices in
06:17 which the number of victims has reached its highest level is pushing the region to unprecedented
06:24 levels of tension and instability.
06:27 This is exemplified in committing more massacres, escalation of its military aggression, and
06:34 its repeated missile bombing at Syrian cities, ports, and civil airports.
06:40 This has endangered civilian lives and the safety of civil aviation.
06:45 It has also hampered UN humanitarian operations.
06:49 Moreover, it has continued its policies of settlement, jihadization, siege, arbitrary
06:56 arrest, forced displacement, and racial discrimination in the occupied Arab territories.
07:07 While the Syrian Arab Republic condemns in the strongest terms all these Israeli crimes
07:12 and attacks, it equally denounces the continued support for such practices or the silence
07:20 of some countries that proclaim themselves protectors of international humanitarian law
07:25 and human rights law.
07:28 This makes them complicit with the perpetrators of these crimes.
07:33 It clearly demonstrates their double standards.
07:37 Mr. President, the continued Israeli occupation of Arab lands and its brutal practices are
07:49 consistent with the destructive role played by some countries on Syrian lands.
07:54 The United States and Turkey continue to violate Syria's sovereignty, unity, and territorial
08:00 integrity by insisting on their continued presence, illegal military presence, on Syrian
08:07 lands and supporting separatist militias and terrorist organizations.
08:12 This is in addition to the visits by Western political and military officials and others
08:19 to Syrian territory.
08:21 By infiltrating Syrian territory without any respect for Syria's sovereignty and independence,
08:27 this is considered a flagrant interference in its internal affairs.
08:31 The systematic and exposed American plunder of the Syrian people's national wealth, such
08:37 as oil, gas, and wheat, has deprived the Syrians of their resources.
08:41 It has exacerbated their humanitarian sovereignty in an unprecedented manner.
08:47 Our latest statistics show that the total value of direct and indirect losses caused
08:54 to the oil sector in Syria has exceeded US$115 billion.
09:02 We believe that the United Nations is obligated to hold the United States accountable and
09:08 ask it to return this looted money to the Syrian government.
09:13 In parallel, the United States of America and its European allies continue to impose
09:21 unilateral coercive measures that are illegal, immoral, and inhumane on various sectors in
09:28 Syria.
09:29 This has only contributed to exacerbate the suffering of Syrians wherever they are, given
09:35 the fact that their impact includes third countries.
09:38 The Secretary General has noted in his reports the impact of these measures on UN procurement
09:45 and payments.
09:47 These countries intentionally include in their measures the public health sector, the
09:52 banking sector, the air transport sector, the Syrian civil aviation equipment, and the
09:58 energy sector.
10:00 It also includes banning the supply of oil and its derivatives to Syria or the import
10:05 of power plants, equipment related to power generation, or spare parts.
10:11 They also include bans on importing equipment and machinery necessary for drinking water
10:18 supply, irrigation, water sterilization and purification, and repair and improvement of
10:25 the sewage system.
10:27 The agricultural sector was not spared from these unilateral sanctions, as they included
10:32 preventing the import of fertilizers and machinery necessary for agricultural production that
10:38 provides food for the Syrians.
10:40 Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, Syria was one of the most stable and prosperous
10:47 countries in the world.
10:48 It was achieving food self-sufficiency and providing all the basic necessities of life
10:54 for its people in a way that was rarely seen in the region.
10:59 However, the terrorist war launched against Syria since 2011 altered the situation.
11:06 It caused a humanitarian crisis that was very significant.
11:12 The severity was aggravated by the imposition of unilateral coercive measures.
11:16 Recently, the devastating earthquake that struck Syria on February 6th of this year
11:22 added a new burden and more suffering.
11:25 The earthquake destroyed hundreds of buildings, infrastructure, and service facilities.
11:31 It caused thousands of victims and injuries and made tens of thousands homeless.
11:38 The Syrian government has been keen to take all measures to facilitate the arrival of
11:44 humanitarian aid and relief workers to all affected areas.
11:49 It has granted and still grants open approvals to the UN and international organizations
11:55 working in Syria to facilitate and accelerate the entry of emergency relief supplies to
12:03 support the affected.
12:05 It also opened, by a sovereign decision, a border crossing to facilitate the humanitarian
12:10 response in the affected areas under the control of terrorist organizations in northwestern
12:17 Syria.
12:18 In this regard, the Syrian Arab Republic renews its thanks and appreciation to all countries
12:26 that stood in solidarity with Syria and its people, all those who have rushed to respond
12:32 to the needs of the Syrian people in light of the difficult circumstances they faced.
12:37 It also expresses its appreciation to the Secretary General of the United Nations for
12:42 launching the FLASH appeal to respond to the catastrophic repercussions of the earthquake.
12:49 The Syrian government is still continuing, within its limited capabilities, to make every
12:55 effort to address the impact of the earthquake in all four affected governorates.
13:01 Last May, the President of the Republic issued a decree establishing the National Fund to
13:06 support those affected by the earthquake, with the aim of providing them financial support
13:13 and helping them overcome the resulting physical, material, or psychological harm.
13:19 This decree represented the foundation of the basic directions and the national action
13:25 plan approved by the Syrian government to address the repercussions of the earthquake
13:31 from various aspects.
13:34 This decree is the first in a series of decrees to move from the emergency response phase
13:39 of delivering relief work to the recovery phase.
13:44 The Syrian Arab Republic reiterates that improving the humanitarian situation in Syria requires
13:51 providing sustainable solutions to support the Syrians, especially after the earthquake.
13:57 It requires increasing the size and quantity of early recovery projects in a way that reduces
14:03 Syrian aid and increases the Syrians' resilience.
14:08 It would also help provide conditions for a dignified and voluntary return of displaced
14:13 persons and refugees to their origins.
14:16 However, this requires providing the necessary funding through international donors, fulfilling
14:22 the pledges they have made.
14:24 Mr. President, turning to the return of refugees, Syria declares before this international organization
14:35 from this podium its readiness to welcome the return of every Syrian refugee who left
14:40 their home village or city.
14:43 We call upon our citizens who were forced by terrorist organizations to seek refuge
14:48 to return to their homeland.
14:50 The Syrian government has taken all necessary decisions in this field.
14:54 We are cooperating with the High Commissioner for Refugees and the Arab Contact Committee
15:00 to reach this noble goal.
15:03 In this regard, I call upon Western countries that ask refugees not to return to their homeland
15:09 to stop these inhumane practices.
15:15 In parallel, Syria responded positively to the efforts and initiatives presented within
15:21 the framework of the political track.
15:24 It supported the approach of local settlement and national reconciliation as a way to restore
15:31 conditions to normalcy all over the country.
15:35 This would also strengthen national unity and the cohesion of the Syrian society.
15:41 It has participated in the meetings held in the Astana format.
15:44 It welcomed its results and maintained communication with the special envoy to Syria.
15:52 Mr. President,
15:55 The Arab Summit held in May in Jeddah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has made a great
16:03 achievement.
16:04 It restored to the collective Arab position its shine and to the Arab joint action its
16:12 momentum.
16:13 During that summit, the Arab countries affirmed their support for Syria in preserving its
16:19 sovereignty and territorial integrity to overcome the difficult circumstances it's
16:24 going through as a result of the terrorist war launched against it and the economic sanctions
16:30 imposed upon it in addition to the repercussions of the devastating earthquake that struck
16:34 the country.
16:36 Syria expresses its support and solidarity with the Libyan people in facing the repercussions
16:42 of the hurricane and floods that struck the country, as well as the Moroccan people due
16:47 to the devastating earthquake.
16:50 Syria reaffirms its support for the right of the Russian Federation to defend itself
16:56 and protect its national security in response to aggressive Western policies.
17:02 In doing so, they are not only defending themselves, but also the rights of all of us to reject
17:08 the logic of Western and unipolar hegemony.
17:12 Syria commends the constructive and responsible approach of the Islamic Republic of Iran to
17:19 return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, from which the USA has unilaterally
17:26 and illegally withdrew.
17:29 It calls upon the United States and its Western allies to meet Iran's legitimate demands.
17:35 Syria supports the "One China" principle.
17:39 It supports the positions of the People's Republic of China in confronting attempts
17:44 at external interference in its internal affairs, whether in Taiwan, Hong Kong, or Xinjiang.
17:52 It stresses China's inalienable right to take whatever measures and steps it decides to
17:59 defend its sovereignty, especially to counter the unprecedented escalation and provocation
18:06 policy practiced by the USA against it.
18:12 Syria condemns the unjust economic blockade imposed on Cuba for decades, including the
18:19 U.S. administration's extension of the so-called "trading with the enemy" law.
18:25 Syria calls for an end to the military action and exercises conducted by the United States
18:31 on the Korean Peninsula, which lead to escalation of tension in this region.
18:38 Syria also demands the lifting of all forms of unilateral, coercive measures imposed by
18:44 Western countries on the Russian Federation, Iran, Venezuela, Belarus, Nicaragua, the Democratic
18:50 People's Republic of Korea, Zimbabwe, Eritrea, and against my country, Syria.
18:57 It considers them economic terrorism no less brutal or dangerous than armed terrorism,
19:04 especially in terms of its catastrophic humanitarian effect on the targeted peoples.
19:10 To conclude, Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, the platform of the United Nations General
19:19 Assembly was created to be a platform for dialogue and public diplomacy among member
19:25 states, and not a platform for leveling false accusations or launching hostile campaigns
19:31 against each other.
19:33 That is why we look forward to the current session of the General Assembly.
19:38 Under your leadership, Mr. Francis, we look forward to it being able to fulfill the slogan
19:45 you raised, that is, "rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity, accelerating
19:53 action on the 2030 Agenda and its sustainable development goals towards peace, prosperity,
20:01 progress, and sustainability for all."
20:06 This can be achieved by working to translate it into real and serious action that contributes
20:13 to giving all countries fair opportunities that ensure no one is left behind.
20:21 It would also consolidate the position and status of the General Assembly as the most
20:28 representative body in the United Nations.
20:30 Thank you, Mr. President.
20:32 [APPLAUSE]