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Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, turkey Call for Emergency Special Session of General Assembly on Syria

Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, turkey Call for Emergency Special Session of General Assembly on Syria

New York/ Information Office/ 05  December 2016/ The State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates called for an Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly to discuss the crisis in Syria.

A joint statement issued by permanent representatives of these countries to the UN said that the ongoing bloodshed in Syria and horrific humanitarian situation in Aleppo warrants a call for an Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly on the situation in Syria.

They decided not to join efforts led by Canada, Costa Rica, Japan, the Netherlands and Togo to convene a formal plenary meeting of the General Assembly on the situation in Syria, but instead of that they called for convening of an Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly and presenting recommendations in accordance with the General Assembly's responsibilities with regards to the maintenance of international peace and security.

Welcoming the letter from the Permanent Representatives of Canada, Costa Rica, Japan, the Netherlands and Togo in which they request on behalf of 74 Member States the holding a formal plenary meeting of the General Assembly on the situation in Syria, the statement highlighted that the situation in Syria is particularly alarming or dangerous situation which merits separate treatment by the General Assembly.

The statement added that over the past few weeks the world have witnessed an intense unleashing of military aggression in Aleppo and the surrounding area with truly devastating consequences for civilians, pointing out that hundreds of civilians have been killed, injured or otherwise affected by the relentless attacks on eastern Aleppo.

In recent reports, the UN Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O'Brien confirmed that nearly one million Syrians are living under siege, the statement added, saying that civilians are being isolated, starved, bombed and denied medical attention and humanitarian assistance.

Therefore, taking into account these horrific circumstances, the statement said they strongly believe that the call for an Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly is justified and required, expressed that they owe it to the people of Syria.