Thank you, Mr. President. And thank you, High Commissioner Filippo Grandi, for your briefing.
As you indeed highlighted, amid an increase in conflicts in recent years, the Security Council has failed to achieve the political solutions necessary to end forced displacement.
As we have said in this Chamber before, “it is time for us to bring the UN, and specifically the Security Council, back to its original purpose, the maintenance of international peace and security, including the peaceful settlement of disputes.” This is our responsibility as Council members – to chart a path forward that can end the horrors of conflicts.
But no one nation can do this alone. The UN exists for collective action – and collective action demands collective responsibility. Every Member State needs to better share the burden of humanitarian response to conflict. The United States has disproportionately shouldered this burden for decades.
Moreover, we reiterate that response to forced displacement should be guided by core principles of national sovereignty, border security, and the rule of law.
Mr. President, in this past year, the conflicts in Sudan, the DRC, and Myanmar, among others, have worsened.
With respect to the war between Israel and Hamas, no one wants to see Palestinians in Gaza go hungry and thirsty. The United States supports the flow of humanitarian aid with safeguards to ensure assistance is not diverted, looted, or misused by the terrorist groups Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
But let us remember, Hamas bears sole responsibility for the war they unleashed on October 7, 2023, when it committed the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust and abducted more than 250 hostages – as well as for the resumption of hostilities in March following Hamas’ rejection of multiple proposals.
Mr. President, even amidst this time of conflict, there has been some cause for hope.
In Syria, with Assad’s departure, there is a new sense of hope among millions of refugees who see the prospect for a future in their home country, and many have returned home – especially the ones who stayed close to home and did not attempt to make the perilous journey to Europe.
The United States seeks a future in which Syria is stable, respects the human rights and freedoms of its people, rejects terrorism and destabilizing Iranian influence, and is not a threat to its neighbors. We believe many Syrian refugees and migrants have similar hopes for their country.
Moving to Europe, this Council called for a swift end to the war in Ukraine, and the United States has invested considerable political capital toward achieving that peace. If a lasting settlement can be reached, millions of Ukrainians will be able to return home.
Mr. President, a durable peace in those conflicts would lay the foundation for millions of displaced people to safely return home and for thriving regional economies.
We call on this Council to redouble efforts to solve and bring an end to crises that lead to long-term displacement.
I thank you.
Remarks at a UN Security Council Arria-Formula Meeting on Small Arms Control and Weapons Management in UN Sanctions Regimes
Ambassador Dorothy Shea
Chargé d’Affaires
New York, New York
April 28, 2025
