Press Conference: Geir O. Pedersen, Special Envoy for Syria

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10-12-2024

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Press Conference: Geir O. Pedersen, Special Envoy for Syria

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Shotlist Story

Syria crisis – UN Special Envoy

TRT: 04 min 28s
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH (Left) / NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 10 DECEMBER 2024 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

Speakers:

Geir Pedersen, UN Special Envoy for Syria

SHOTLIST

1. Exterior médium-wide: UN Geneva flag alley.
2. Medium wide, UN Geneva Press room, podium speakers, journalists, photographers.
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir Pedersen, UN Special Envoy for Syria: “Syria is now at a crossroad with great opportunities for us, but also with grave risks. And we need really to look at both. We know that, of course, HTS now the dominant group in control of Damascus, but it's important also to remember that they are not the only armed group in Damascus.”
4. Medium, UN Geneva Press room, podium speakers, journalists, photographers.
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir Pedersen, UN Special Envoy for Syria: “The conflict in the northeast is not over; there has been clashes between the Syrian National Army, the opposition groups and the SDF. We are calling obviously for calm also in this area. And then a very troubling development, we are continuing to see Israeli movements and bombardments into Syrian territory. This needs to stop.”
6. Medium-wide, journalists, TV screens showing Mr. Pedersen.
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir Pedersen, UN Special Envoy for Syria: “When I briefed the Security Council yesterday, I received a message from the Syrian ambassador to the United Nations in New York. And he was then addressing me on behalf of the authorities in Damascus. So that is still functioning.”
8. Wide, Press room, journalists and TV cameras, photographer.
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir Pedersen, UN Special Envoy for Syria: “Jolani himself mentioned this in an interview with the CNN that they are discussing the possibility of dismantling HTS. So, again, let me emphasize that we are still in what we called a very fluid period and things have not settled. There is a real opportunity for change, but this opportunity needs to be grasped by the Syrians themselves and supported by the UN and the international community.”
10. Medium-wide, journalists, TV screens showing the Special Envoy.
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir Pedersen, UN Special Envoy for Syria: “You have to look at the facts and to see what has happened during the last nine years. It is nine years since that resolution was adopted and the reality is so far is that the HTS and also the other armed groups have been sending good messages to the Syrian people; they have been sending messages of unity, of inclusiveness and frankly speaking, also we are also seeing in Aleppo and in Hama, we have also seen, you know, reassuring things on the ground.”
12. Medium, interpreter’s booth, UN logo and Special Envoy reflected in window.
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir Pedersen, UN Special Envoy for Syria: “I am not in contact with the Israelis, but of course, the United Nations in New York, they are. And, you know, the peacekeepers in the Golan Heights, are in daily contact with the Israelis. And of course, the message from New York is just it's the same that what we are seeing is a violation of the disengagement agreement in 1974.”
14. Medium, photographer lining up shot.
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir Pedersen, UN Special Envoy for Syria: “When I was leaving Doha, there was a Syrian family that came towards me, they were, living in Sweden and they said, ‘Mr. Pedersen, you know, we are so hopeful, we know there are many challenges. We left Hama 10 years ago, we really want to go back. We hope it will be possible.' And I think that is really something that many, many Syrians are hoping for to this day.”
16. Wide, TV journalist, control booths, automatic cameras.
17. Medium, journalist filming with mobile phone.
18. Medium, journalists.

Barely 48 hours since opposition forces including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) swept into Damascus and forced out President Bashar al-Assad, the top UN negotiator tasked with helping the Syrian people to create a peaceful and democratic future insisted that nothing could be take for granted.

“Syria is now at a crossroads with great opportunities for us, but also with grave risks. And we need really to look at both,” said Geir Pedersen, UN Special Envoy for Syria. “We know that, of course, HTS now the dominant group in control of Damascus, but it's important also to remember that they are not the only armed group in Damascus.”

Amid images of jubilant scenes on the streets of Damascus following the end of the Assad regime, Mr. Pedersen cautioned that the transfer of power had been accompanied by reports of robberies and the “invasion of public buildings or private homes. But this seems to have stopped and that is a good thing,” he told journalists in Geneva.

Beyond Damascus, the situation remains less certain, a legacy of Syria’s 13-year civil war that has drawn in regional and international actors, stymying UN-led efforts towards peace.

“The conflict in the northeast is not over; there has been clashes between the Syrian National Army, the opposition groups and the [Syrian Democratic Forces]. We are calling obviously for calm also in this area,” the UN Special Envoy said.

Turning to numerous reports of Israeli troop movements into the Occupied Golan Heights and bombardments of targets inside Syria, Mr. Pedersen insisted: “This needs to stop.”

He added: “I am not in contact with the Israelis, but of course, the United Nations in New York, they are. And, you know, the peacekeepers in the Golan Heights, are in daily contact with the Israelis. And of course, the message from New York is just it's the same that what we are seeing is a violation of the disengagement agreement in 1974.”

The veteran negotiator, a Norwegian national, also provided insight about how the transition of power is playing out inside Syria, via a key diplomatic exchange during his closed-door briefing to the Security Council at UN headquarters in New York late Monday evening.

“When I briefed the Security Council yesterday, I received a message from the Syrian ambassador to the United Nations in New York. And he was then addressing me on behalf of the authorities in Damascus. So that is still functioning.”

Much is still unclear about HTS and its motivations, Mr. Pedersen stressed, noting that [Abu Mohammad al] “Jolani himself mentioned this in an interview with the CNN that they are discussing the possibility of dismantling HTS. So, again, let me emphasize that we are still in what we called a very fluid period and things have not settled. There is a real opportunity for change, but this opportunity needs to be grasped by the Syrians themselves and supported by the UN and the international community.”

A key potential sticking point to conducting international dialogue with HTS - which led the opposition forces’ advance into Damascus via Aleppo, Hama and Homs - is that it is still regarded as a terrorist group by the Security Council. The forum’s core resolution on Syria – number 2254 – adopted unanimously in December 2015 - explicitly calls on Member States “to prevent and suppress terrorist acts committed specifically by” HTS’s predecessor, the Al-Nusra Front.

This terror listing may be about to change, Mr. Pedersen suggested. “You have to look at the facts and to see what has happened during the last nine years. It is nine years since that resolution was adopted and the reality is so far is that the HTS and also the other armed groups have been sending good messages to the Syrian people; they have been sending messages of unity, of inclusiveness and frankly speaking, also we are also seeing in Aleppo and in Hama, we have also seen, you know, reassuring things on the ground.”

As many Syrians exiled by the war now prepare to return home, the UN Special Envoy stressed the collective wish of the foreign ministers he met in Doha at the weekend – from Turkey, Russia, Iran and many Arab States – for Damascus’s new rulers to act on their initial promising declarations in favour of a peaceful transition of power. And for the international community to ensure that this can happen.

He added: “When I was leaving Doha, there was a Syrian family that came towards me, they were, living in Sweden and they said, ‘Mr. Pedersen, you know, we are so hopeful, we know there are many challenges. We left Hama 10 years ago, we really want to go back. We hope it will be possible.’ And I think that is really something that many, many Syrians are hoping for to this day.”

Teleprompter

OK, Good morning.

Welcome.

Thank you very much for being here a little bit earlier today, because we have the great pleasure and honour to have with us GAIL Petersen, the Special Envoy for Syria for the UN.

As you know, the formula with this prequels to the briefings is that we will have Mr Petersen addressing you with Jennifer.

You will have the chance to ask question, but he has to leave.

He has a hard exit maximum, maximum maximum at 35, so we will have to try to be short.

Afterwards we will have a 2-3 minutes break and we will go into the regular press briefing.

So without further ado, I'll give the floor to to Jennifer for a short introduction and then to get here.

Good morning.

Thank you to those of us who are also joining us online.

You should have the option for Arabic.

Just to note that Mister Patterson briefed the Security Council in closed consultations last night.

As you will have seen, he has just returned from Doha, where he met with key players and he was recently in Damascus.

After he briefs, we'll have time for a few questions, so please have those ready.

Mr Patterson, thank you.

Great to see you again.

Let me start by saying that what has happened the last few days, no one, absolutely no one saw this coming.

I believe even the armed groups that are now in control of Damascus have been surprised of what has happened.

But of course, what we have seen is a watershed moment in Syria's history, with President Assad and his government ousted from Pover following what can only be called an extraordinary military offensive that saw Damascus fall within two weeks.

And of course, what we basically saw was that the military or the Assad regime collapsed.

But, and this is important, the situation is still moving fast.

Syria is now at a crossroad with great opportunities but also with grave risks, and we need really to look at both.

We know that of course HDS is now the dominant group in control of Damascus, but it's important also to remember that they are not the only armed group in Damascus.

After the fall of Aleppo, we saw a very broad range of armed opposition groups that mobilised, including what we recall the Turkish backed Syrian National Army in the north and the so-called former Southern Front that obviously came from the South.

And also other groups that basically erupted what I would call spontaneously as armed new formations.

And let me now emphasise this and it's really an essential point for no.

Much of what some call rebel controlled Syria is under the control of what I would call a patchwork of groups who are coordinating well for no, but they are not fully or formally united.

It's important that we don't see conflict between these groups.

Let me also say that by and large, we have seen reassuring statements from the HDS and the different armed groups, but there are still some issues of law and order.

But we we are hopeful that it did be possible to keep law and order.

But also let me mention this, the conflict in the North East is not over.

There has been clashes between the Syrian National Army, the opposition group and the STF.

We are calling obviously for calm also in this area.

And then a very troubling development.

We are continuing to see Israeli movements and bombardments into Syrian territory.

This needs to stop.

This is extremely important.

Let me then just give whatever called three key messages.

We need to continue to stress the protection of civilians.

I have appealed to the armed actors to maintain good contact law and order and to protect civilians in line with international humanitarian law and preserve public institutions.

And as I said, I've heard positive statements from the HDS and the other armed groups that they intend to continue to reassure civilians that they want to be inclusive, especially with minorities.

My second point linked to what I said a little bit earlier.

We need to continue to work for de escalation.

We need an CN stop to the Israeli attacks and we need to make sure that the the conflict in the North East stops and we need to make sure that there are no conflict developing between the different armed groups.

But then third, and this is perhaps today my most important message, we need to focus on the need for credible and transitional arrangements in Damascus.

This means that there needs to be what I call orderly arrangements, but it also means, and this of course, I don't need to repeat it, but it's extremely important, it's needs to be inclusive arrangements.

That is ensuring the representation of the broadest possible spectrum of Syrians of the Syrian society and the Syrian parties.

And let me say that if this is not happening, then we risk new conflict in Syria.

I believe that this is understood by all groups.

But what we now need to see as this is implemented on the ground in Syria.

And it is my hope that if we do this, if we unite the Syrian parties, we bring together the different Syrian communities, then this could be the real beginning of something new for Syria.

And importantly, I think then we would also see a united international community supporting the Syrian transition.

Then we could start to look at lifting sanctions, increase humanitarian support, start economic recovery.

We could see the return of Syrian refugees or internally displaced returning to their homes.

And we could start to see, as the **** Commissioner for Human Rights mentioned yesterday, that justice is finally reached.

All of this needs the cooperation of the international parties and the Syrian parties.

And I can promise you that United Nations will do whatever we can to help in this situation.

Thank you so much.

Thank you very much, Guy.

It's really appreciate it.

I have a list of questions long like this, so please be fast.

I'll start with Jeremy.

Just just off of 2, if we can take 3 questions off the go and then Mr Patterson will answer them together.

Thank you, Mr Patterson.

Let's let's let's do it this this way.

Quick ones, Jeremy, first question is do you have any contact with HTS so far, all the armed groups right now in Damascus?

And how much do you hope to achieve with those groups that you didn't achieve with the Assad regime?

And the second quick one would be about the the moves by a certain number of European countries suspending or denying the the refugee seeking asylum process in Europe.

Do you welcome those moves or do you think it is too early to tell?

Thank you very much.

Yuri Aprelev in university.

Yes, thank you and thank you for coming to brief us.

I have a question also about HTS.

This is the first time we have ex terrorist organisation.

I mean it was Al Qaeda in Syria that is taking the power in one country.

What is your recommendation to all the countries that are considering HTS as terrorists?

Do they have to speak with them?

Do they have to clean them from the terrorist list?

What is your concern for that?

Thank you very much.

Yes, please, Madam, can you introduce yourself for Mr Timo?

From China Media Group, I have a question.

What is your plan for the next and any kind of the discussions will be had in the near?

Future thank you in the future any.

Discussion.

Let me start with the question of HDS.

That is obviously a key question, but let me also emphasise they are not only, as I said, they are not only the armed group that are now in Damascus.

So, as you all know, in Security Council Resolution 2254, Al Nusra was listed as a terrorist organisation.

This is obviously a complicating factor for all of us, but we also have to be honest, we have to look at the facts and to see what has happened during the last nine years.

It is not nine years since that resolution was adopted.

And the realities so far is that the HDS and also the other armed groups have been sending good messages to the Syrian people.

They have been sending messages of unity, of inclusiveness.

And frankly speaking also we have seen in in Aleppo and in Hama, we have also seen, you know, reassuring things on the ground.

But as I stated at the very beginning, there also been challenges on Sunday in particularly in Damascus.

There were loothings, there were robberies, there were, you know, invasion of public buildings or private homes.

But this seems to have stopped and that is a good thing.

But what we need not to see is of course that the good statements and what we are seeing on the ground at the beginning, that this is no followed up in practise in the days and the weeks ahead of us.

And the most important test, the most important test will be how the transitional arrangements in Damascus is organised and implemented.

These arrangement, as I am emphasised many times, needs to be inclusive.

If they are really inclusive of all the different groups and all the communities in Syria, as I said, then there is a possibility for a new beginning.

And then I do believe that the international community will look at the listing of HDS again, because then there is a real change that had happened.

And you will also have heard that there are discussions, and I think Dulani himself mentioned this in an interview with the CNN, that they are discussing the possibility of dismantling HDS.

So again, let me emphasise we are still in what I recall, the very fluid.

Things have not settled.

There are there is a real opportunity for change, but this opportunity needs to be grasped by the Syrians themselves and supported by the UN and the international community.

What I'm now telling you, I think is an advice from the key, old key international actors.

As Jennifer mentioned, I was in Doha, I discussed this with the, of course, with the Turkish foreign minister, with the Russian, with the Iranian, but also with the Arab foreign ministers.

And we all united behind this message that we need to see what you're saying be implemented on the ground.

And this is a huge challenge.

And here also just me, just link to what I said earlier about the Israeli attacks, extremely important that we know don't see any action from any international activity that destroys the possibility for this transformation in Syria to take place.

Then I think there was a question about the refugees.

Let me give a very strong appeal that the situation in Syria is still fluid.

We need to be aware of that.

Things have not consolidated.

But at the same time, I know from speaking to Syrians all over that they are full of hope and optimism and many do want to go back.

Let me just mention one example to you.

When I was leaving Doha, there was a Syrian family that came towards me.

They were living in Sweden.

And I said, Mr Peterson, you know, we are so hopeful.

We know there are many challenges.

We left Hama 10 years ago.

We really want to go back.

We hope it will be possible.

And I think that is really something that many, many Syrians are hoping for to this day.

But let's make sure that the international community that we are helping them in this process because there are livelihood challenges still in Syria.

As you all know, the humanitarian situation is disastrous.

The economy has collapsed.

So there is a lot of responsibilities that we really need to do and we need to do that together.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Ayer did go ahead.

Go ahead.

OK.

Catrin from German radio and TVARD.

Just one question about the process starting now, the political progress, you say it has to be inclusive.

How far do you think members of the old regime should be integrated in this process?

Thank you very much, Laurent Ciero, Swiss News agency online.

Yeah.

Thank you for the briefing.

You mentioned Israel since your stakeout in Doha on Sunday.

Have you have any, have you had any engagement with the Israeli authorities on the appeal that you're launching to seize the bombings and with any serial Syrian armed group, have you have any direct engagement?

Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mohammed Alslan.

Another 1C.

Thank you so much, Alessandra.

So thank you for the brief.

My question will be about Israel, also Israel.

Has invaded the.

Buffer zone in the Golan Heights that it occupied after the collapse of Assad regime in Syria and.

There are also.

Reports that says Israel army has crossed this zone and entered as Syrian territory.

My questions are, do you think that this set up is against international law and also do you call on Israel to live?

At the Syrian.

Lands that it occupied.

Thank you.

Let me start with the question about the old regime.

Of course, this is a extremely crucial question.

And I think here you, I have noticed that what I'm what's coming off from Damascus is that there is a need for justice, but that there is also a need for working together with, with people who served within the government structure in, in Damascus.

There is an appeal that state institutions should be kept.

And I, you know, and, and I think it was rather telling.

I just want to mention this, that when I briefed the Security Council yesterday, I received a message from the Syrian ambassador to the United Nations in New York, and he was then addressing me on behalf of the authorities in Damascus.

So that is still functioning.

And my hope is that we will be able to see that this kind of cooperation is continuing.

In other words, a focus on the need to keep state institutions and making sure, as I said, that all communities are included.

And I think if this principles are followed, the Syrians will be able to sort of the distinctions between these different important questions.

Then as I said on, on, on Israel, I am not in contact with the Israelis, but of course the United Nations in New York, they are.

And you know, the peacekeepers on the Golan Heights are of course in daily contact with with Israelis.

And of course, the message from from New York is the is the same that what we're seeing is a violation all the disengagement agreement in 1974.

So we will obviously to get with our colleagues in New York follow this extremely closely in the overs and days ahead.

Listen, really appreciate this opportunity to see you again and let's hope for a better future for Syria.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, Jennifer.

The world of the End.

Just in closing, the Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, Miss Najat Rushdie, is currently convening the Humanitarian Task Force, so we will provide you with any notes from that meeting when it concludes.

And we just also want to note that we have observed an increase in media freedom and many areas of Syria in recent days, including many of your colleagues.

We acknowledge this development and we urge all parties to respect media freedom and workers and journalists, emphasising that they are civilians who must be protected.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Please stay.

We will wait for two minutes for Mr Petition to leave and we'll continue with the briefing.