PRESS RELEASE : The Assad regime must end its subjugation of the Syrian people – UK statement at the UN Security Council [August 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 August 2024.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Syria.

First, this month we have seen yet another series of attacks by Iranian-backed militia groups against Coalition forces in Syria. Malign actors continue to seek to capitalise on the instability to secure their influence and in turn destabilise the region.

Violence by regime forces, backed by Iran, against the Syrian Democratic Forces along the Euphrates River risks further destabilising a country already marred by conflict. This instability will continue to play out across the borders in Lebanon and in Iraq.

Second, a number of anniversaries this month have been a stark reminder of the devastating impact of the conflict on the lives of Syrians. It is 11 years since the Assad regime used chemical weapons to kill over 1,400 people in Ghouta.

A decade has passed since Daesh began committing genocide against the Yazidis. I want to highlight the plight of missing Yazidi women and of the families that have been torn apart by these horrendous acts.

As we mark the International Day of the Disappeared, we recall that forcibly disappeared persons account for around five percent of the total Syrian population. All parties must engage in good faith as the Independent Institution on Missing Persons is established to clarify the fate of the missing.

Third, President, despite the deep trauma of these horrific crimes, the Syrian people have continued to demonstrate bravery and resolve in demanding freedom and democratic rights. There has now been a year of protests in Sweida standing up to and demanding change from the Assad regime.

The demonstrations serve as a dramatic testimony to the unresolved issues that first drove people to the streets in 2011. We continue to call on the Assad regime to realise the protestors’ demands for political, civil, and human rights. And to end the systematic subjugation of Syrians fairly seeking freedom, democracy and change.

President, ultimately it is within the Assad regime’s gift to implement UNSCR 2254.  This offers a pathway out of conflict that would protect the rights of all Syrians. The United Kingdom honours the perseverance of those bravely seeking truth, justice, freedom and stability.