외교부

Briefing by Ambassador Oh Joon
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations

SC Briefing on the Situation in the Middle East

29 April 2014 
New York


I thank Special Coordinator Robert Serry for his briefing.

We are concerned that the peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine have not produced any meaningful progress until the deadline. The situation on the ground has also been worsening. Harmful activities, including, continued settlement construction, controversy over the release of prisoners, rocket attacks on populated areas in Israel, and strong Israeli reprisal have driven both sides to further confrontation and mistrust.

Despite these setbacks, we still think that the door to negotiations has not been closed as long as all sides do not give up on the goal of a more sustainable future for all. All possibilities should be explored, including, by building on the mediation efforts of the US alongside the full support of the international community. The role of the UN, in this regard, as part of the Quartet, should not be overlooked in continuing these negotiation efforts.

As for the recent reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas, in order for this reconciliation to lead in a positive direction, we believe that it should proceed in such a way as to contribute to the peace negotiations as well as avoid any violence and confrontation. At the same time, it should lead to genuine democracy and well-being for all Palestinian people.

Turning to the situation in Syria, we are gravely concerned about the unprecedented scale of death and destruction as the conflict enters its fourth year.

We strongly condemn the indiscriminate aerial bombardments and ground assault now taking place against densely populated civilian areas in Homs. Gross violations of human rights and systematic war crimes are ongoing. Flagrant violations of international law are also taking place vis-à-vis humanitarian access, as painstakingly articulated in the Secretary-General’s most recent report.

Implementation of resolution 2139 (2014) and improvements in the humanitarian situation in Syria are simply not happening. As USG Amos reported, access to besieged communities has not increased—and is in fact getting worse—with only 6% of civilians residing in such areas receiving much-needed assistance.

This is simply unacceptable and we once again call on the Syrian government and opposition groups to allow unhindered humanitarian access so food and medicine can reach civilians trapped in the crossfire. People are starving and dying of disease as barrel bombs drop overhead while the Syrian authorities’ bureaucratic hurdles are preventing humanitarian access, in contravention of resolution 2139 (2014).

In this connection, we condemn the employment of siege and starvation as methods of warfare and call for increased cross-border assistance. The Syrian government should cater to the request of OCHA so that the most effective routes can be utilized to provide aid to civilians. We appreciate the work of the WFP, WHO, UNICEF, UNRWA, and other humanitarian actors operating in such difficult conditions on the ground.

Regarding Lebanon, spillover is no longer simply a border issue. Syrian refugees now account for nearly 25% of the total Lebanese population. We are also concerned over the escalating number of terrorist attacks inherently related to the Syrian conflict and condemn last month’s attacks on the Lebanese army. We appeal to the Syrian government and opposition groups to respect Lebanese sovereignty, and to all Lebanese actors to refrain from actions in Syria that inflame insecurity in Lebanon, as stipulated in the Baabda Declaration.

To conclude, Mme. President, we reiterate that greater initiative must be harnessed through active diplomacy and increased cooperation as we strive to deal with the crises in the region. We need to work together to ensure that not only peace, stability, and coexistence, but also accountability and justice become a reality for the resilient people in the Middle East.

Thank you. /End/