United Nations Security Council draft resolution S/2023/506
Date: 2023-07-11 (meeting 9371)
Agenda: The situation in the Middle East
Vetoed by: RUSSIA/USSR

United Nations
Security Council
Distr.: General
11 July 2023
Original: English
S/2023/506
Brazil and Switzerland: draft resolution
The Security Council,
Recalling its resolutions 2042 (2012), 2043 (2012), 2118 (2013), 2139 (2014),
2165 (2014), 2175 (2014), 2191 (2014), 2209 (2015), 2235 (2015), 2254 (2015), 2258
(2015), 2268 (2016), 2286 (2016), 2332 (2016), 2336 (2016), 2393 (2017), 2401
(2018), 2449 (2018), 2504 (2020), 2533 (2020), 2585 (2021), 2642 (2022), 2672
(2023) and its Presidential Statements of 3 August 2011 (S/PRST/2011/16), 21 March
2012 (S/PRST/2012/6), 5 April 2012 (S/PRST/2012/10), 2 October 2013
(S/PRST/2013/15), 24 April 2015 (S/PRST/2015/10), 17 August 2015
(S/PRST/2015/15), and 8 October 2019 (S/PRST/2019/12),
Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and
territorial integrity of Syria and to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the
United Nations,
Encouraging efforts to improve cross-line delivery of humanitarian assistance
and calling on all relevant parties to further promote, consistent with United Nations
assessments of need, unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to all parts of
the country,
Determining that the devastating humanitarian situation in Syria continues to
constitute a threat to peace and security in the region,
Recalling the need for all parties to respect the relevant provisions of
international humanitarian law and the UN guiding principles of humanitarian
emergency assistance,
Expressing grave concern at the long-term consequences of the devastating 6th
February 2023 earthquakes that struck Türkiye and Syria; affirming solidarity with
all the people affected by this natural disaster of major magnitude, and commending
the wide-ranging local, regional and international response to the earthquakes and the
indispensable and ongoing efforts of the United Nations, its specialized agencies,
humanitarian as well as medical personnel to alleviate the impact of this disaster on
the Syrian people,
Expressing in this regard grave concern at the compounded impacts of the
earthquakes and ongoing consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and recalling the
need for full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access, without delay, for
humanitarian as well as medical personnel, their equipment, transport and supplies in
order to facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance, including vaccinations, to
all parts of Syria without discrimination,
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Recognizing that humanitarian activities are broader than solely addressing the
immediate needs of the affected population and should include support to essential
services through water, sanitation, health, education, electricity where essential to
restore access to basic services, humanitarian mine action and shelter early recovery
projects, and calling for increased humanitarian funding,
Acknowledging the scale of the displacement crisis and underscoring the
importance of building conditions for safe, voluntary, informed and dignified returns,
Underscoring that Member States are obligated under Article 25 of the Charter
of the United Nations to accept and carry out the Council's decisions,
1.
Demands the full and immediate implementation of all provisions of all
relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165
(2014), 2191 (2014), 2258 (2015), 2332 (2016), 2393 (2017), 2401 (2018), 2449
(2018), 2504 (2020), 2533 (2020), 2585 (2021) 2642 (2022), and 2672 (2023);
2.
Decides to extend the decisions in paragraphs 2 and 3 of Security Council
resolution 2165 (2014), for a period of 9 months, that is until 10 April 2024, only for
the border crossing at Bab al-Hawa, and requests the Secretary-General to provide a
special report on the humanitarian needs in Syria no later than 10 March 2024;
3.
Calls upon all Member States to respond with practical steps to address
the urgent needs of the Syrian people in light of the long-term negative consequences
of the recent earthquakes and the continued profound socio-economic and
humanitarian impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Syria, as a country in situation
of complex humanitarian emergency, including through broadening the humanitarian
activities, and increased humanitarian funding;
4.
Recognizes ongoing efforts and calls for the further expansion of
humanitarian activities in Syria, including water, sanitation, health, education,
electricity where essential to restore access to basic services, humanitarian mine
action and shelter early recovery projects, undertaken by humanitarian organizations,
and calls upon other international humanitarian agencies and relevant parties to
enhance support for them;
5.
Demands that all parties allow and facilitate rapid and unhindered passage
of humanitarian relief for civilians in need;
6. Calls upon all relevant parties to enable cross-line deliveries of
humanitarian assistance to all parts of the country, including by providing timely
security guarantees to ensure the safe passage of cross-line convoys and humanitarian
personnel;
7.
Requests the Secretary-General to provide a report on a regular basis, at
least every 60 days, on the implementation of resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014),
2191 (2014), 2258 (2015), 2332 (2016), 2393 (2017), 2401 (2018), 2449 (2018), 2504
(2020), 2533 (2020), 2585 (2021), 2642 (2022), 2672 (2023) and this resolution and
on compliance by all relevant parties in Syria and further requests the Secretary-
General to include in his reports overall trends in unhindered and safe United Nations
cross-line operations, in particular on their progress to all parts of Syria, on early
recovery projects, and detailed information on the humanitarian assistance delivered
through United Nations humanitarian cross-border operations, including their
transparency, the distribution mechanism, the number of beneficiaries, operating
partners, locations of aid deliveries at district-level and the volume and nature of
items delivered;
8. Encourages the convening of a Security Council Informal Interactive
Dialogue every two months with participation of donors, interested regional parties
and representatives of the international humanitarian agencies operating in Syria in
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order to regularly review and follow-up on the implementation of this resolution,
including progress in early-recovery projects and cross-line access;
9. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

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Voting result: 13 yes, 1 no, 1 abstentions
Votes by member:
country: Albania
vote: Y
country: Brazil
vote: Y
country: Ecuador
vote: Y
country: France
vote: Y
country: Gabon
vote: Y
country: Ghana
vote: Y
country: Japan
vote: Y
country: Malta
vote: Y
country: Mozambique
vote: Y
country: Switzerland
vote: Y
country: United Arab Emirates
vote: Y
country: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
vote: Y
country: United States of America
vote: Y
country: Russian Federation
vote: N
country: China
vote: A