Syrian Ambassador to the UN Slams the Hypocrisy of NATO Member States in Combating COVID 19

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Published on Apr 11, 2020

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Syrian Ambassador the United Nations slammed the hypocrisy of the western member states of the United Nations Security Council and their ilk who impose illegal unilateral coercive sanctions and blockades against countries for political extortion and blackmail during the latest video-session of the UNSC.

Speaking via video conference, Dr. Bashar Jaafari reminded the representatives of the member states attending this special session on combating COVID 19 of their own commitments in the previous session and the commitment of the UN as a body through its Secretary-General in 'leaving no one behind' in this fight, by simply uplifting the illegal sanctions that impede the efforts of over 2 billion people around the globe in prevention and treatment of this pandemic.

The following is the full transcript of his very short statement (less than 5 minutes) which was interrupted by the head of the session, although a country like Syria used to take most of the time of those 'humanitarian bastards' before this for the least reasons just for the western member states of the UNSC to demonize the Syrian state:

Thank you dear colleagues, thank you Marc, thank you and the ministers, welcome to New York, dear distinguished colleagues.

As we all know the social and economic damage resulting from the COVID 19 is mounting across all countries tracking the sharp rise in new infections and containment measures put in place by governments. Here I recall that we agreed since the adoption of the 2030 agenda of sustainable development in 2015 that this agenda is a genuine long-term test of our ability to collective solidarity and our desire to reach the year 2030 without anyone left behind, however, today we are facing a short-term test of our ability and our collective global will to leave no one behind, and this goal does not turn into mere words that we cannot apply in reality.

Having said that, it is essential today to recognize the need of all countries of the world to provide basic infrastructure and equipment for the health sectors in order to provide prevention, health tests treatment, food, and basic services for all without exception. As well as enabling the economies of all countries to support and finance the necessary national plans, procedures, and strategies to ensure the containment and prevention of the spread of COVID 19.

I'm speaking to you today as the permanent representative of a country that suffers from special conditions related to the negative economic and social effects of a war that lasted for more than nine years and was accompanied by an economic blockade and unilateral economic coercive measures imposed on the Syrian people by some governments.

Needless to say that these unilateral coercive measures directly affect the ability of the main economic sectors in Syria to perform their tasks collectively and effectively especially in the fields of health, energy, banking, industry, transportation, communication, internal and external trade, adjust the local currency rate, and combating the high prices of all basic materials and services.

These illegal measures impede the ability of affected countries to contain the virus and undermine the basic principle that the secretary-general of the United Nations calls for solidarity and collective cooperation in facing this threat.

Just as a reminder, the world's population affected by unilateral coercive economic measures exceeds two billion.

On our part, as countries affected by these unilateral measures, we sent nationally and collectively many letters and appeals to the secretary-general and explained legally and humanitarianly the impact of these illegal sanctions on our capabilities as governments, citizens, and economic and social sectors to confront this health pandemic. We asked the United Nations and the International Community helping us to lift this type of economic blockade, but unfortunately, our efforts and the course of the United Nations have not received any serious or real response by the governments that impose this type of measures, and allow me to underscore here my deep disappointment that none of the panelists has touched up on this very important issue at the beginning of our meetings.

Head of the session: Bashar, can you please wrap up now because we have 25 speakers and we have 5 minutes, so look, you just ask your question and what is the question, please?

Dr. Jaafari: I conclude with the quote from the UN report issued on March 31st, 2020, titled Shared Responsibility, a Global Solidarity Responding to the Socio-economic Impacts of COVID 19, and I quote: "sanctions imposed on countries should be waived to ensure access to food, essential supplies, and access to COVID 19 tests, and medical support. This is the time for solidarity not exclusion." end of quote.

We are now looking more than ever before at the role of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group as well as at the role of member states, especially after what the Secretary-General briefed on the 27th of March in his view to conversate the organization's response to COVID 19.

End of Dr. Jaafari's statement on the 10th of April 2020.

We touched upon this valuable statement in our post: Jaafari Calls to End Sanctions Hindering COVID Containment; Trump Sends More Troops to Syria, and in my post yesterday here, but thought the transcript, which is searchable by search engines, should also be shared as it is as well.

To watch the video click on the above player, the below image to serve as featured image when sharing on social media: