Syria Stresses Need to Foster Respect for International Law and Realize Sustainable Development Goals

MARRAKESH-Syria has stressed the need to foster respect for international law and the UN Charter provisions, foremost among them those related to sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of states as to preserve international peace and security and realize sustainable development which is necessary to curb illegal immigration, according to SANA.

Syria’s Representative at the Marrakesh Intergovernmental Conference on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), who is member of the Syrian permanent mission at the UN in New York, Qusai al-Dahhak addressed the Conference saying “Over decades, the Middle East region has suffered from policies of hegemony, aggression and Israeli occupation of Arab lands, and over the past seven years, Syria has been subject to grave violations of international law, as well as crimes and a multifaceted support for terrorism, committed by governments of nations who are UN member states, with the aim of destabilizing it and undermining its national stances.”

 These policies, and the practices coupled with unilateral coercive measures that certain countries imposed on Syria, have had an effect on pushing a number of Syrians to leave their country, he added, indicating that in the aftermath of victories achieved by the Syrian state and allies in the fight against terrorism, Syria has called on all Syrians to return to their country.

Al-Dahhak pointed that these endeavors have been blocked by some countries which continued to back terrorism and attempted to prolong the crisis in Syria through politicizing the file of return and tying the reconstruction efforts to politicized conditions.

He said Syria welcomes the adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, and the visions and goals set out in it that would serve joint action and multilateral cooperation to enhance the pros of migration and avoid the cons.

Syria’s Representative emphasized the necessity that human rights issues, including the rights of immigrants and refugees, be approached with objectivity and credibility away from politicization and selectivity.

He also demanded putting an end to the policies of terrorism-backing countries which seek to prolong the crisis, ending the crimes committed by the US-led Coalition against Syrian civilians, terminating the Israeli occupation of Arab lands and lifting coercive economic sanctions against the Syrian people.

Al-Dahhak called for enhancing collective work under the United Nations to prevent terrorist organizations from obtaining funding from human trafficking, demanding a stop to the hate practices, discrimination and racism against displaced Syrians.

The 25-page non-binding text sets out principles related to defending human rights and the rights of children, recognizing the sovereignty of countries and proposing measures to assist countries facing migratory flows such as information and experience exchange.