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S/PV.6710 20 12-21919 Portugal remains committed to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Syria. The longer the crisis persists, the deeper the scars on Syrian society will be. My country values highly the role of regional organizations and their contributions to peace and security. We believe that the League of Arab States is best suited to lead the efforts aimed at solving a crisis that entails direct risks and threats to many of its member States. As I said, we fully support the efforts of the League of Arab States. We supported without hesitation the request for this meeting. We have staunchly supported the League’s decision of 22 January and the political road map therein as the only viable path towards establishing a credible political dialogue among all Syrians, leading to a peaceful political transition. We urge all Syrian parties, factions and stakeholders to respond positively to that proposal. Portugal fully subscribes to the need for the formation of a national unity Government and strongly appeals to President Al-Assad to delegate full authority to his deputy in order to carry out a peaceful political transition in accordance with what has been underlined by the Prime Minister of Qatar. To cut a long story short, Portugal appeals to all members of the Council not to look at Syria with the eyes of the past, in the light of old divisions. What is at stake in Syria is an Arab initiative for a problem that is, first and foremost, an Arab one. It is a crisis that the world and the United Nations cannot ignore. All members of the Council should feel comfortable with the initiative of the Arab League because no member of the Council is comfortable with the daily massacres in Syria. Inaction is not only unacceptable but also irresponsible. It is high time to live up to our responsibilities and to address the legitimate demands of the Syrian people and the expectations of the countries of the region. We must unite behind a strong and clear message to the Syrian authorities. It is also the credibility of the Security Council that is at stake. We must tell the Syrian authorities, unequivocally, that the killing must stop and that a political solution must be sought, based on the proposals of the Arab League. It is for those reasons that Portugal commends Morocco for submitting a draft resolution with those objectives in view. We will continue to engage in good faith with all Council members in order to expeditiously adopt the draft resolution. The situation in Syria has already brought serious disruption to its neighbours. I wish, in that context, to express my country’s deep appreciation for the assistance that countries of the region — Turkey in particular — have been providing to those fleeing violence, persecution and repression. But let us be clear. If we do not act, not only will we be condemning the Syrian people to yet more violence and repression; we will be increasing the threats to the peace and security of the whole region. There is no more time to lose. A year ago, the people of Tunisia set in motion a wave that quickly changed the face of the Arab world. After decades of silence and dread, ordinary people broke away from the shackles of fear. They found their voice, bravely took to the streets and made themselves heard. They strove for freedom, for equality and for their rights to build a democratic State and to citizenship. They refused to cower in submission. Those are also the aspirations of the Syrian people, who also refuse to submit to disproportionate brutal force. President Roosevelt included among his four famous freedoms the freedom from fear. It is our duty to help the Syrian people to free themselves from the fear inflicted daily upon them. To put a stop to the killings and allow for a peaceful solution, we must act and we must act now. As Dostoyevsky said, “to live without hope is to cease to live”. It is up to us to give hope to and protect the lives of the Syrian people. Mr. Amrani (Morocco) (spoke in Arabic): At the outset, let me thank you, Sir, for convening this important meeting of the Security Council. My thanks go also to the other members of the Council for providing Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al-Thani, head of the Arab Ministerial Committee on Syria, and His Excellency Mr. Nabil Elaraby, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, with the opportunity to enlighten the Council on the tragic situation in Syria and on the League’s determined efforts to address the crisis. My delegation has listened carefully to the two briefings on the crisis in sisterly Syria and the consequences of a confrontation that has claimed innocent lives, led to the severe suffering of civilian