Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-12-13-Speech-2-487-000"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20111213.32.2-487-000"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, as you indicated, this is an extremely serious issue.
Now all members of the UN Security Council must assume their responsibilities in relation to the situation in Syria. The EU and its Member States will continue to lead the efforts for a strong and united message.
The Syrian opposition has grown more active and is better organised, certainly over the last few months. Like honourable Members, I have met this morning with a Syrian Human Rights activist and I know the role that this Parliament has played in engaging with those activists and encouraging them and their work. I have met with other leaders of the Syrian National Council and welcomed the ongoing efforts by the Syrian opposition to try and establish a united platform and to work for a shared vision for the future of Syria and the transition to a democratic system.
We all agree on the importance of a strong and inclusive opposition political platform taking in all religious and ethnic communities. It is essential that the Syrian opposition maintains and develops its clear commitment to a peaceful and non-sectarian approach. The coordination with opposition on the ground to set out plans for the transition is of the utmost importance.
On the sanctions track, our strong response to the Syrian regime’s policy of repression has been further reinforced. Further individuals and entities linked to the regime have been added to the assets freeze and travel ban: now, 86 individuals and 30 entities are on the list. At the beginning of this month, new measures were adopted to strengthen and complement the existing sanctions. In the oil sector, we have added a ban on the export of key technologies and equipment. In the financial sector, we have expanded the prohibitions on contacts with Syrian banks and we have also established a ban on the export of monitoring software and equipment in the telecommunications sector.
But despite the efforts of everyone, the Syrian regime has remained defiant. None of the opportunities offered by the Arab League have yet been accepted. We think that they need to comply fully with the Arab Plan of Action. But they want to find excuses and dilute the effectiveness of an observer mission but the Arab League, I am pleased to say, remains strong in their position.
Let me conclude with a word on the humanitarian situation. I believe it is increasingly worrying. Conditions are worsening in the places most badly hit by the violent repression and armed confrontation. These include electricity cuts, water supplies, shortage of basic commodities in the areas most affected such as Baba Amr, a quarter in Homs.
Most recently, a systematic denial of access has made it impossible to independently assess the situation. We are particularly concerned about the consistent reports of abuse related to the harassment of medical personnel and difficulties for wounded victims to safely access emergency health care.
We have to assume that the information provided is correct, in the absence of free and unimpeded access for aid agencies to independently assess and respond to the most urgent needs.
DG ECHO (European Community Humanitarian Office) is closely monitoring the situation from Damascus and was able to carry out a field mission in October. The ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) continues to negotiate access to detainees.
We have made it clear that we are ready to provide emergency assistance should humanitarian needs be confirmed. We are also recognising the vulnerability of Syrian refugees hosted by neighbouring countries, particularly Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon, and we are ready to support these refugees if the host countries request our help. We have made that knowledge available to them.
Honourable Members, since we discussed the situation in Syria last October, the brutal repression has continued. The situation is dramatic and particularly worrying in Homs. As honourable Members will have seen, the UN reports the number of victims has reached 5 000 people – and this may well be a conservative estimate.
Finally, I call on the Syrian authorities to allow this humanitarian access without restriction and across the country, so that Syrians who are in need can receive immediate assistance. I hope that we will see action in the Security Council and that all members will take their responsibilities, respond to this and respond to what the UN Commissioner for Human Rights has said, with a great sense of urgency.
The situation is totally unacceptable. The brutal repression of civilians has to stop. Assad must listen to his people, his neighbours, to the Arab partners, to Europe and to the world. We all have the same message: he should stop the violence to his own people. He should let that transition get under way.
Thousands remain in detention. The recent report of the UN International Commission of Inquiry indicates that crimes against humanity were committed by the security forces. Some people in Syria are taking up arms to defend themselves and the risk of widespread armed confrontation is increasing.
Against this complex and difficult background, we have ratcheted up our sanctions and we have done whatever we can to build a growing international consensus to isolate the regime.
I have been in regular contact with the Arab League Secretary-General, al-Araby and hosted him at the latest Foreign Affairs Council. The Arab League has our full support in their demands on the Syrian regime, including the immediate cessation of violence, withdrawal of military from cities, and the granting of humanitarian and media access.
We have also backed their plan to dispatch an observer mission to protect civilians, offering our assistance, and have welcomed their decision to impose sanctions. Regional leadership is key and should continue. The role of Turkey, with which I have been in regular contact, and its decision to impose sanctions is also crucial as we seek to weaken the regime.
We have worked hard on the international scene, stepping up contacts with key international partners to isolate further the regime and its supporters. I have discussed this with Secretary Clinton in Washington, with Prime Minister Lavrov in Moscow, with the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and with Foreign Minister Davutoglu when I met him in Bonn while he was visiting there.
In the UN, successful efforts by the EU and Member States led to a resolution in the Third Committee of the General Assembly. A Special Session of the Geneva Human Rights Council was called at my initiative and a new resolution was adopted with unprecedented support in early December, establishing a Special Rapporteur for human rights in Syria."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata | |
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples