Thank you, Mister President.
Switzerland would like to thank Special Envoy Geir Pedersen for his presentation.
We have also taken note of the presentation by Mr Raed Al-Saleh, Director of White Helmets.
The intensification of hostilities in the provinces of Idlib and Aleppo in recent days is very worrying. This new escalation risks having serious repercussions for achieving peace and security in the country and throughout the region. It must stop immediately.
Switzerland condemns the fact that the vast offensive by armed opposition groups led by HTS (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham) and the retaliatory strikes carried out by the Syrian government and its allies have targeted civilian objects and resulted in the deaths of dozens of civilians and the forced displacement of tens of thousands, including many children.
We join the Special Envoy in calling on the parties to put an urgent end to this spiral of violence and to respect their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law. This includes the strict application of the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution in the conduct of hostilities in order to spare civilians and guarantee protection to particularly vulnerable groups.
Switzerland is alarmed by reports that these hostilities are affecting access to water, food and essential services, and seriously jeopardising the delivery of humanitarian aid in the north and north-west of the country. It is crucial to allow humanitarian actors to rapidly assess the needs of the civilian population. Their safety must also be guaranteed, as stated in Resolution 2730, including by allowing them to leave the conflict zones unharmed.
Switzerland has consistently reiterated that the rapid, safe and unimpeded delivery of aid to civilians in need is an obligation under international humanitarian law. In order to reach civilians in need, including the newly displaced and those trapped by the fighting, all forms of aid delivery are crucial - including cross-border aid through the Bab al-Hawa, Bal al-Salam and AlRae crossing points, and aid across the front lines, even if the front lines are moving.
Civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, water and electricity stations and camps for displaced persons, must never be targeted. We recall that Aleppo airport receives goods transported via the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), and call for the protection of this critical operation.
Finally, we stress the importance of ensuring that humanitarian aid funding is robust, predictable and commensurate with the growing needs of the population, wherever they may be. Almost 17 million people - virtually the entire Syrian population - are in need of assistance today. This also includes the hundreds of thousands of people who have fled hostilities in neighbouring Lebanon.
Mister President,
This intensification of hostilities is the consequence of the political vacuum and the absence of a political process for many years in Syria. Switzerland urges the Syrian parties and those with influence over them, including the guarantor states of the Astana process and other influential states, to give priority to dialogue and diplomacy.
We call on them to coordinate their efforts with those of the UN Special Envoy to achieve a national ceasefire and a credible peace process.
In this respect, Switzerland will continue its commitment and remains ready to make Geneva available for any initiatives or peace talks under the aegis of the UN.
Only a political solution - within the meaning of UN Security Council Resolution 2254 - can put an end to this terrible conflict.
Thank you.