President of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) Nasr al-Hariri, sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, regarding the commitment of the United Nations and its member states and agencies to desisting from providing any form of support to the institutions affiliated with the Assad regime.
Al-Hariri said that the SOC strongly urges the UN Secretary-General and UN agencies to “pay additional and careful attention to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Charter of the United Nations, abiding by all rights and obligations explicitly outlined for member states to refrain from providing any support for institutions backed by state perpetrated violence, mass killing, and destruction to its land and people.”
The letter said that the SOC condemns any support for the Assad regime, calling upon the UN member states not “to use or stand by, in any capacity for any support, services or institutions created or stood up by the Syrian regime under Bashar Al-Assad, or any affiliation to the regime.”
Al-Hariri pointed to the sanctions adopted by member states such as the EU and US signatories, adding that most foreign entities condemn the ability of the Syrian regime to operate with impunity. “For this reason, we believe the United Nations have not fully embraced in practice restrictions against the regime.”
He called for an end to all forms of cooperation between UNESCO and the so-called Syria Trust for Development. which is directly linked to Asma Al-Assad, wife of Bashar Al-Assad. “Freely indicating and providing any ties with the Syria Trust Development implies acceptance of the catastrophic cultural and human destruction of the Syrian people, directly counteracting the mission and principles of UNESCO and general principles outlined within the UN Charter.”
Moreover, Al-Hariri called on the UN to stop its utilization of Syrian Cham Wings airlines for aid delivery, adding that the United Nations did confirm this same airline used was the one identified as transporting fighters and weapons mandated by the Assad regime. He stressed that using air carrier Chams Wings poses a legitimate risk to the credibility of the United Nations, assisting state actors recognized and documented for their ongoing societal abuse and destruction.
He also called for abstaining from doing business with institutions or companies associated with the Assad regime, urging against any dealings that would indicate approval of the continued destruction and killing being carried out by the Assad regime and its allies.
Al-Hariri stressed that a lasting political solution in Syria can only be achieved through the formation of a transitional governing body with full executive powers in line with UN Security Council resolutions, especially the Geneva Communique of 2012 and UN Security Council Resolution 2254. (Source: SOC’s Media Department)
