On the tenth anniversary of the beginning of peaceful protests in Syria on 15 March 2011, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, on behalf of the EU, recalled on Sunday 14 March that the conflict in Syria is “far from over”.
“The EU cannot and will not look away as the future of Syria and its people are held hostage to conflict”, Mr Borrell warned.
According to him, “the European Union remains resolute, continuing to demand an end to repression, the release of detainees, and that the Syrian regime and its allies engage meaningfully in the full implementation of UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2254”. The EU will renew its targeted sanctions at the end of May if there is no progress and as long as the repression continues, the High Representative warns.
The EU is also ready to strengthen the dialogue between all international actors having an influence on the Syrian crisis. Mr Borrell therefore called on all these actors to “join forces” at the conference on Syria scheduled for the end of March in Brussels “to reaffirm and consolidate strong support for a political solution” in accordance with Resolution 2254 and the tireless efforts of the UN Special Envoy to advance all aspects of this resolution in a comprehensive approach.
And while the EU is willing to support “free and fair” elections in Syria, these should be in accordance with UN Resolution 2254 and under UN supervision, with the highest international standards of transparency and accountability, and with all Syrians, including members of the diaspora, able to participate. The presidential election scheduled for this year cannot meet these criteria and therefore cannot contribute to the resolution of the conflict or lead to any measure of international normalisation with the Syrian regime, Mr Borrell warns.
He also stresses that accountability for all violations of international humanitarian and human rights law is of the utmost importance. More than 387,000 people are believed to have died during the conflict. Preventing the resurgence of the Islamic State Organisation remains a priority, Mr Borrell added.
The High Representative also pledges that the Syrian people will continue to receive “the full political and humanitarian support” of the EU, hoping for a strong call for the renewal of UNSC Resolution 2533 allowing for safe, unhindered and sustainable humanitarian access and cross-border delivery of aid. He also recalls that the conditions are not in place for a safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return of refugees in accordance with international law. The conflict has resulted in over 5.6 million registered refugees and 6.2 million internally displaced persons.
See the declaration: http://bit.ly/2Nj1iZC (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)