UN Envoys to the Middle East called on regional parties to engage in good faith and without preconditions in negotiations to immediately halt ongoing hostilities, sustaining existing ceasefires, putting in place more durable and comprehensive ceasefires, and achieving longer-term resolutions to the persistent conflicts across the region.
The joint appeal was issued in New York on Saturday by Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen, Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths, and Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov.
The five envoys cited the Secretary-General’s recent call for a global ceasefire during the COVID-19 pandemic, stressing that more needs to be done to translate it into action.
"Too many in the Middle East have endured conflict and deprivation for far too long. Their suffering is now compounded by the COVID-19 crisis and its likely long-lasting social, economic, and political impacts.”
The envoys encouraged rival parties to exercise maximum restraint, de-escalate tensions, and work to resolve their differences through dialogue, negotiation, mediation or other peaceful means.
"We urge parties to reach out across conflict lines and cooperate locally, regionally and globally to stop the rapid spread of the virus and, where possible, to share resources, and allow access to medical facilities where needed", they added.
The officials reiterated the need to facilitate humanitarian access and assistance to internally displaced persons, refugees, communities under siege, and all those who have been ravaged by war and deprivation.
They indicated that this requires fast-tracking the passage of health and aid workers at borders and in-country and ensuring they are protected. They also called for the safe and voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced persons.
"None of these efforts will succeed if the guns of war and conflict are not silenced", they emphasized.
"At a time like this, partisanship and narrow interests must yield to the greater cause and the good of the people. That is why we echo the Secretary-General in calling on all parties in the Middle East to work with the UN so we can 'focus on the true fight of our lives',” they concluded.
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