Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari, the permanent representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to U.N., said on Tuesday that it is unacceptable to politicize issues related to protecting civilians, to deal with such issues selectively or to justify the violation of national sovereignty by invoking civilian sufferings.
“Syrians have fallen victims to terrorists and human traffickers as they risk their souls to flee the brutality of terrorist organizations and to seek means of living after some members of the U.N. unilaterally denied resources to them,” said Jaafari at an unofficial dialogue session of the U.N. General Assembly on “Responsibility to Protect (R2P)”.
Jaafari added that the Syrian delegation expressed regret towards R2P, as some countries that dominate the U.N. exploited the principle – which was ratified by members of the U.N. a decade ago – as a new tool and justification to interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign nations.
Jaafari argued that a sovereign nation should bear primary responsibility for R2P from grievous crimes happening within its borders, and that R2P’s aim is to boost the national sovereignty, not to erode it.
Regarding the situation in Syria, Jaafari said: “the U.N. reports still neglect the issue of more than 100 U.N. member states sending thousands of foreign terrorists and government aid to Syria to perpetrate their abominable crimes against Syrians and sabotage the state institutions.”
He added: “This is not the kind of aid expected by heads of state at the 2005 U.N. summit. Further, the U.N. reports turn a blind eye to the obstruction by certain governments to the political solution of the Syrian crisis, which prolongs the conflict, increases the Syrians’ sufferings, and threatens international security and peace.”
Jaafari said that Syrians are paying the price of misguided policies of the “so-called international community”, as they continue to fall victims to terrorism, human trafficking, and deadly sea navigation while fleeing the brutality of terrorist organizations backed by the international community.
