Haiti, Venezuela, Syria & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (9 Dec 2024) | United Nations

Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. Highlights: Haiti. Venezuela. Syria. Syria/Humanitarian. Syria/Refugees. Lebanon. Lebanon/Humanitarian. Occupied Palestinian Territory. Ukraine. Democratic Republic of the Congo. CERF Pledging Conference. International Days. HAITI Good afternoon. The Secretary-General strongly condemns the continued gang violence and loss of life in Haiti, where an armed gang is reported to have killed at least 184 people, including 127 elderly men and women, between 6 and 8 December in the Wharf Jérémie neighborhood in Cité Soleil in the capital of Port-au-Prince. He expresses his deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims of this horrific act.  The Secretary-General calls on the Haitian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure that perpetrators of these and all other human rights abuses and violations are brought to justice. The Secretary-General reiterates his pressing call to Member States to provide the Multinational Security Support mission the financial and the logistical support required to successfully assist the Haitian National Police in addressing gang violence. He also calls on all Haitian stakeholders to accelerate progress in the political transition.    VENEZUELA Just staying in the western hemisphere, on Venezuela, I just want to say that the Secretary-General is aware of reports of raids by Venezuelan security personnel on buildings around the Argentine embassy in Caracas. The Secretary-General recalls the principle of the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises. This principle must be respected in all cases, in accordance with international law. Any violation of this principle would jeopardize the pursuit of normal international relations, which are critical to the advancement of cooperation between States. SYRIA Turning to Syria, I think you all saw the statement the Secretary-General issued yesterday, in which he said that after 14 years of brutal war and the fall of the dictatorial regime, the people of Syria can seize an historic opportunity to build a stable and peaceful future. There is much work to be done to ensure an orderly political transition to renewed institutions, he added, and reiterated his call for calm and avoiding violence at this sensitive time. He also stressed that the support of the international community is needed to ensure that any political transition is inclusive and comprehensive and that it meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people. He added that Syria’s sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity must be restored. The Secretary-General also underscored that the UN remains committed to helping Syrians build a country where reconciliation, where justice, and where freedom and prosperity are shared realities for all. For his part, our Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, is currently back in Geneva, continuing discussions with key international actors. He is scheduled to brief the Security Council by VTC this afternoon at 3 p.m. in closed consultations about his efforts. The Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, will also be briefing the Council at that time, also by VTC. Over the weekend, Mr. Pedersen issued statements - which we shared with you - on the events in Syria and highlighting his engagements in Doha with relevant stakeholders. Further details regarding forthcoming convenings in Geneva will be shared by Mr. Pedersen’s office as the happen and in due course. Office of the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Website https://www.un.org/sg/en/spokesperson/ Full highlights https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon...