On
Eve
of GA Vote on
Syria, Russian
Amendments
Trigger
Meeting
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
February 15 --
The afternoon
before the
scheduled vote
in
the General
Assembly on
the draft
resolution on
Syria, a
meeting
began in the
UN's North
Lawn building
on a series of
amendments by
Russia.
"They
are
good ones,
aren't they?"
a BRICS
representative
asked Inner
City
Press. He
predicted that
the vote(s)
will take
place on
Thursday,
since "France
has made the
announcement -
it is not
Cairo in the
lead."
Representatives
of
Western
Security
Council
members like
the US and UK
were in
attendance,
albeit at the
"expert"
level. In the
front,
Russia's
Deputy
Permanent
Representative
Pankin began
speaking.
The
amendments
are similar to
the
Security
Council
amendments
that Inner
City Press first
obtained and
published on
Saturday
morning
February 4,
that
"all sections
of the Syrian
opposition to
dissociate
themselves
from armed
groups engaged
in acts of
violence" and
that "in
conjunction
with the end
of attacks by
armed groups
against state
institutions
and quarters
of cities and
towns." This
last was
(mis)
presented at
the stakeout
and after
as not "in
conjunction"
but armed
groups leaving
before the
government.
There is also
- "(optional).
Expressing
support for
the broad
trend of
political
transition to
democratic,
plural
political
systems in the
Middle East;"
The vote is
slated for
Thursday
afternooon.
This
will be
updated; for
now, here is
the draft that
the
spokeswoman
for
the President
of the General
Assembly tells
Inner City
Press is the
draft that
became an "L"
or limited but
official
document:
The
General
Assembly,
Recalling
its
resolution
66/176 of 19
December 2011,
as well as
Human Rights
Council
resolutions
S/16-1, S/17-1
and S/18-1,
Expressing
grave
concern at the
deterioration
of the
situation in
Syria, in
particular the
ongoing human
rights
violations and
use of
violence by
the Syrian
authorities
against its
population,
Reaffirming
the
role of
regional and
subregional
organizations
in the
maintenance
of
international
peace and
security as
set out in
Chapter VIII
of the
Charter,
Reaffirming
its
strong
commitment to
the
sovereignty,
independence,
unity and
territorial
integrity of
Syria, and to
the principles
of the
Charter,
Reaffirming
that
all Member
states of the
United Nations
should refrain
in their
international
relations from
the threat or
use of force
against the
territorial
integrity or
political
independence
of any State
or act
in any other
manner
inconsistent
with the
purposes of
the United
Nations,
Welcoming
the
engagement of
the
Secretary-General
and all
diplomatic
efforts
aimed at
ending the
crisis,
1.
Reaffirms
its strong
commitment to
the
sovereignty,
independence,
unity and
territorial
integrity of
Syria and
stresses the
need to
resolve the
current
political
crisis in
Syria
peacefully;
2.
Strongly
condemns the
continued
widespread and
systematic
violations
of human
rights and
fundamental
freedoms by
the Syrian
authorities,
such as the
use of force
against
civilians,
arbitrary
executions,
killing and
persecution of
protestors,
human rights
defenders, and
journalists,
arbitrary
detention,
enforced
disappearances,
interference
with access to
medical
treatment,
torture,
sexual
violence, and
ill-treatment,
including
against
children;
3.
Calls
upon the
Syrian
government to
immediately
put an end to
all
human rights
violations and
attacks
against
civilians,
protect its
population,
fully comply
with its
obligations
under
applicable
international
law and fully
implement
Human Rights
Council
resolutions
S-16/1,
S-17/1, S-18/1
and its
resolution
66/176,
including by
cooperating
fully with the
independent
international
commission of
inquiry;
4.
Condemns
all violence,
irrespective
of where it
comes from,
and calls
upon all
parties in
Syria,
including
armed groups,
to immediately
stop all
violence or
reprisals in
accordance
with the
League of Arab
States’
initiative;
5.
Stressing
again the
importance to
ensure
accountability
and the need
to end
impunity and
hold to
account those
responsible
for human
rights
violations,
including
those that may
amount to
crimes against
humanity,
6.
Demands
that the
Syrian
government, in
accordance
with the Plan
of
Action of the
League of Arab
States of 2
November 2011
and its
decisions of
22 January and
12 February
2012, without
delay:
(a)
cease
all violence
and protect
its
population;
(b)
release
all persons
detained
arbitrarily
due to the
recent
incidents;
(c)
withdraw
all Syrian
military and
armed forces
from cities
and towns,
and return
them to their
original home
barracks;
(d)
guarantee
the freedom of
peaceful
demonstrations;
(e)
allow
full and
unhindered
access and
movement for
all relevant
League
of Arab
States’
institutions
and Arab and
international
media in
all parts of
Syria to
determine the
truth about
the situation
on the
ground and
monitor the
incidents
taking place;
and
7.
Calls
for an
inclusive
Syria-led
political
process
conducted in
an
environment
free from
violence,
fear,
intimidation
and extremism,
and
aimed at
effectively
addressing the
legitimate
aspirations
and
concerns of
Syria's
people,
without
prejudging the
outcome;
8.
Fully
supports the
League of Arab
States’ 22
January 2012
decision
to facilitate
a Syrian-led
political
transition to
a democratic,
plural
political
system, in
which citizens
are equal
regardless of
their
affiliations
or ethnicities
or beliefs,
including
through
commencing a
serious
political
dialogue
between the
Syrian
government
and the whole
spectrum of
the Syrian
opposition
under the
League of
Arab States’
auspices, in
accordance
with the
timetable set
out by
the League of
Arab States;
9.
Calls
upon all
Member States
to provide
support to the
Arab League
initiative, as
requested;
10.
Calls
upon the
Syrian
authorities to
allow safe and
unhindered
access
for
humanitarian
assistance in
order to
ensure the
delivery of
humanitarian
aid to persons
in need of
assistance;
11.
Requests
the
Secretary-General
and all
relevant UN
bodies to
provide
support to the
efforts of the
League of Arab
States both
through good
offices aimed
at promoting a
peaceful
solution to
the Syrian
crisis,
including
through the
appointment of
a Special
Envoy, as well
as
through
technical and
material
assistance, in
consultation
with the
League of the
Arab States;
12.
Requests
the
Secretary-General
to report on
the
implementation
of
this
resolution, in
consultation
with the
League of Arab
States,
within 15 days
of its
adoption.
, 
