SC/10536
Security Council
6711th Meeting (AM)
The Russian Federation and China vetoed today a Security Council draft resolution that would have demanded that all parties in Syria — both Government forces and armed opposition groups — stop all violence and reprisals, ending days of intense negotiations in New York as diplomats laboured to bring a halt to the deadly 10-month crackdown on anti-Government protests in the Middle Eastern country.
Supported by the 13 other Council members, the text would have expressed grave concern at the deteriorating situation in Syria and profound concern over the deaths of thousands of people. It would have condemned widespread gross violations of human rights and “all violence, irrespective of where it comes from”, while demanding that the Syrian Government implement, “without delay”, the elements of a plan set out by the League of Arab States on 22 January.
That plan, outlined in the Council’s text, would have demanded that Syria immediately cease all violence and protect its population; release all persons detained arbitrarily; withdraw all military and armed forces from cities and towns; and guarantee the freedom to hold peaceful demonstrations. It would have called for “an inclusive Syrian-led political process conducted in an environment free from violence, fear, intimidation ad extremism, and aimed at effectively addressing the legitimate aspirations and concerns of the Syrian people”.
Explaining his negative vote, the representative of the Russian Federation said that the draft resolution sought to send an “unbalanced” message to Syria. Moreover, no proposal had been made to end attacks by armed groups, or their association with extremists. Stressing that the violence and bloodshed must end immediately, he announced that the Russian Government was taking direct action by sending high-level officials to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on 7 February. Yet, while the Russian Federation was committed to finding a solution, some influential members of the international community had been undermining the possibility of a peaceful settlement by advocating regime change, he said.
The Councils’ three other permanent members — France, the United Kingdom and the United States — were outraged by the rejection of the text, believing it represented the best compromise position. “It is a sad day for the Council, a sad day for Syrians, and a sad day for all friends of democracy,” said France’s representative, who was among those speakers who noted that today marked the thirtieth anniversary of the Hama massacre. “What message is now being sent to the Syrian people and to all the victims of human rights violations?” Denouncing those who had obstructed action under the “obviously false” belief that the aim of the text was military intervention, he said history would judge harshly those who had prevented the Council from lending its support to the Arab League’s efforts.
Saying that her delegation was “disgusted” that the text had been blocked, the representative of the United States explained that the Council had been held hostage for months while the same two members had held fast to “empty arguments and individual interests”, trying to “strip bare” any measure that would call on the Syrian regime to change its tactics. The draft’s co-sponsors had truly “gone the last mile” to accommodate the concerns of Council members regarding the use of force. Yet, “wrecking amendments” proposed at the last hour to delay action further were reprehensible, she said, especially because they had come as the Assad regime was ratcheting up its “horrific campaign” in Homs.
Against that backdrop, the international community must help to end “this abhorrent brutality”, especially since some Council members continued to “sell out the Syrian people to shield a craven tyrant”, she continued, warning that any further bloodshed would be on their hands. Applauding the growing number of Syrians who were taking to the streets to speak out against President Assad’s regime, she said that, after today, they would be able to look at the Security Council and see clearly which nations had stood behind their calls for democracy and which had chosen to “prop up desperate dictators”.
Syria’s representative, taking the floor at the end of the meeting, said the statements made by some Council members betrayed their “true hostile intentions” against his country, and would “fan the flames” of violence and bloodshed. Indeed, Syria was in the midst of a crisis “manufactured” by States that did not wish it well, and which gave money, arms and media coverage to the armed terrorist groups that were killing, abducting and intimidating Syrian civilians. The draft resolution that had failed to pass today emphasized the importance of dialogue, which Syria supported, he said. However, some of the parties to the conflict refused to engage in dialogue as all Council members knew well.
He said that Syria sought dialogue that was inclusive of all parties, under “the roof of its homeland”, emphasizing that such a dialogue would be developed in Syria and by Syrians. They did not need to await “instructions on democracy” from others. Saying that he had hoped that the situation would remain “in the Syrian household” and within the Arab structure, he stressed that the rush by some parties to bring the issue to the Council was a cause of great concern. The United Nations had indeed become an “instrument of war”, he said, adding that those parties were waging wars in order to gain control of geographic locations and lucrative resources.
The Council’s latest attempt at consensus followed days of intense negotiations in the wake of its ministerial-level briefing on Tuesday, when it heard from Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber bin Muhammad Al-Thani, Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Qatar and Chairman of the Arab League’s Ministerial Council, and Nabil Elaraby, the League’s Secretary-General. While Council members were split over the path to action on Syria, those two regional officials had called for decisive action, with Sheik Hamad stressing: “Our efforts and initiatives have been in vain for the Syrian Government has not made any sincere effort to cooperate with our efforts, and, unfortunately, its only solution has been to kill its own people.” (See Press Release SC/10534.)
Also speaking today were the representatives of Morocco, Germany, Portugal, United Kingdom, Colombia, Guatemala, India, China, Pakistan, South Africa, Azerbaijan and Togo.
The meeting began at 11:50 a.m. and ended at 1:25 p.m.