On
Syria,
French Draft
Statement
Supports
Annan's 6
Point Plan,
Online by ICP
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
March 19 -- In
the UN
Security
Council Monday
morning,
France
circulated a
draft
Presidential
Statement on
Syria, a copy
of
which Inner
City Press is
publishing
below, and
there was a
discussion
about "working
methods of the
Council,"
including
several
countries
denouncing
leaks.
At
the stakeout
after the
meeting,
Council
President for
March Mark
Lyall Grant
said
he would not
described the
draft
statement.
Inner City
Press asked if
there had been
any discussion
of
transparency,
and, for
example, if
Jean Marie
Guehenno, the
second of now
four Frenchmen
in a row atop
UN
Peacekeeping,
is in fact an
Annan deputy
in Syria.
Lyall
Grant would
not answer on
Guehenno,
saying that
when the
Secretariat
has an
announcement,
it will make
it. He said
that several
Council
members
said that
Council
consultations
should not be
summarized.
But
shouldn't the
Security
Council be
accountable at
least to UN
member
states not on
the Council,
if not to the
public and
press?
France is
proposing,
among other
things, that "to
review
the
implementation
of the
six-point plan
within 7 days
and to
consider
further
measures."
Inner
City Press
obtained the
draft below
and now
publishes it:
PRESIDENTIAL
STATEMENT
ON THE JOINT
SPECIAL ENVOY
FOR SYRIA
The
Security
Council
expresses its
gravest
concern at the
deteriorating
situation in
Syria which
has resulted
in a serious
human rights
crisis and a
deplorable
humanitarian
situation. The
Security
Council
expresses its
profound
regret at the
death of many
thousands of
people in
Syria.
The
Security
Council
welcomes the
appointment of
Joint Special
Envoy for
the United
Nations and
the League of
Arab States
Kofi Annan, in
accordance
with General
Assemblyresolution
A/RES/66/253
of 16
February 2012
and relevant
resolutions of
the League of
Arab States.
The
Security
Council
expresses its
full support
for the Joint
Special
Envoy to bring
an immediate
end to all
violence and
human rights
violations,
secure
humanitarian
access, and
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
comprehensive
political
dialogue
between the
Syrian
government and
the whole
spectrum of
the Syrian
opposition.
To
this
aim, the
Security
Council fully
supports the
six-point plan
outlined by
the Joint
Special Envoy
to the
Security
Council on 10
March 2012 as
part of his
initial
proposals to
the Syrian
authorities
to:
a-
commit
to work with
the Joint
Special Envoy
in an
inclusive
Syrian-led
political
dialogue to
address the
legitimate
aspirations
and concerns
of the Syrian
people;
b-
commit
to stop the
fighting and
achieve
urgently an
effective
United
Nations
supervised
cessation of
armed violence
in all its
forms by
all parties to
protect
civilians, by
immediately
ceasing troop
movements
towards and
ending the use
of heavy
weapons in,
population
centres, and
beginning
pullback of
military
concentrations
in and
around
population
centres. As
these actions
are being
taken on the
ground, the
Joint Special
Envoy shall
seek similar
commitments
from
all other
armed groups
to cease
violence,
under an
effective
United
Nations
supervision
mechanism;
c-
ensure
timely
provision of
humanitarian
assistance to
all areas
affected by
the fighting.
d-
in
close
coordination
with
humanitarian
organisations,
intensify the
pace and scale
of release of
arbitrarily
detained
persons,
including
especially
vulnerable
persons and
those involved
in peaceful
protests, by
providing
without delay
to
humanitarian
organisations
a
list of all
locations in
which such
persons are
being detained
and
immediately
beginning to
organise with
humanitarian
organisations
access to such
locations,;
e-
ensure
freedom of
movement
throughout the
country for
journalists;
f-
ensure
freedom of
association
and the right
to demonstrate
peacefully
as legally
guaranteed.
The
Security
Council calls
upon the
Syrian
government and
opposition to
commit to work
in good faith
with the Joint
Special Envoy
towards a
peaceful
settlement of
the Syrian
crisis and to
implement
fully and
immediately
his initial
six-point
plan.
The
Security
Council
requests the
Joint Special
Envoy to
update
regularly
the Council on
the progress
of his
activities,
and decides to
review
the
implementation
of the
six-point plan
within 7 days
and to
consider
further
measures.
We
predict some
problems,
particularly
but not only
with "decides
to review
the
implementation
of the
six-point plan
within 7 days
and to
consider
further
measures." Watch
this site.
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