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UN Security Council endorses new peace plan for Syria
The United Nations Security Council approved a statement supporting former Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s peace-making efforts in Syria and the delivery of aid for victims of the violence yesterday. The nonbinding vote included the support of Russia, which has stood in the way of previous council proposals on Syria. China, which has followed Russia’s lead on the issue, also joined in the vote.
In the statement, the Security Council called on both the government and the opposition to work “in good faith” with Annan, who met with Assad in Damascus this month in his role as a special envoy for the UN and the Arab League.
The declaration represents, for the first time, a unified council stance calling on the Syrian government and its opponents to work toward a cease-fire. Nevertheless, the statement lacks the legal authority of a Security Council resolution. Russia and China have twice vetoed Security Council resolutions condemning Assad’s handling of the crisis.
To gain Russian support, Wednesday’s Security Council statement excluded any threat of sanctions or military action against Assad’s government. The new declaration says the Security Council will “consider further steps as appropriate” based on reports from Annan.
Annan has proposed a series of steps. They include a cease-fire, the delivery of humanitarian aid and the launch of a political dialogue between the regime and the Syrian opposition. So far, the Syrian government has shown little interest. The opposition, for its part, has rejected talks with Assad, except for negotiations that would lead to his removal from power.
On the ground in Syria, opposition activists reported new clashes yesterday in various hot spots, including the suburbs of Damascus, the central provinces of Homs and Hama, and southern Dara. Opposition networks have reported that security forces killed at least 70 people in yesterday’s fighting. More than 10,000 people have died in the yearlong conflict, including civilians, armed dissidents and security forces, according to UN and Syrian government figures.