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U.N. Guilty of ‘Collective Failure’ in Syria, Leader Says U.N. Guilty of ‘Collective Failure’ in Syria, Leader Says
(about 5 hours later)
Ban Ki-moon, the secretary general of the United Nations, said Wednesday that the organization was responsible for a “collective failure” to halt more than two years of atrocious violence in Syria, and he expressed hope that the crisis over that country’s chemical weapons stockpile would be a catalyst toward a diplomatic solution.Ban Ki-moon, the secretary general of the United Nations, said Wednesday that the organization was responsible for a “collective failure” to halt more than two years of atrocious violence in Syria, and he expressed hope that the crisis over that country’s chemical weapons stockpile would be a catalyst toward a diplomatic solution.
Mr. Ban’s remarks, in a speech at a United Nations conference, came as diplomatic energy was intensifying over a Russian proposal to secure Syria’s chemical munitions, which averted, for the time being, an American military strike threatened by President Obama, who said in a speech Tuesday night that he would give diplomacy more time.Mr. Ban’s remarks, in a speech at a United Nations conference, came as diplomatic energy was intensifying over a Russian proposal to secure Syria’s chemical munitions, which averted, for the time being, an American military strike threatened by President Obama, who said in a speech Tuesday night that he would give diplomacy more time.
Diplomats at the United Nations said the five permanent members of the Security Council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — were planning to meet later in the day to discuss a French-sponsored draft resolution that would place those chemical munitions under international control. But the Russians, who have said they will present their own plan, have expressed opposition to any resolution that carries the threat of military force to ensure compliance. Diplomats at the United Nations said the five permanent members of the Security Council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — held what they described as initial consultations on Wednesday and that the text of a resolution was not discussed.
It was unclear when — or even whether — the French resolution would be put to a full vote by the 15-member council, and in any event their deliberations were not expected to advance significantly until Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergey V. Lavrov, meet in Geneva on Thursday. The so-called P3 — Britain, France and the United States — also held separate discussions about reaching common positions in advance of offering a resolution that would place Syria’s chemical munitions under international control, ensure that users of those munitions were held accountable and include an enforcement provision for noncompliance. But the Russians, who have said they will present their own plan, have expressed opposition to any resolution that carries the threat of military force.
It was unclear when any resolution would be put to a full vote by the 15-member council, and in any event their deliberations were not expected to advance significantly until Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergey V. Lavrov, meet in Geneva on Thursday.
“The parties are very far apart,” said one diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions are in the early stages. “It’s too early in the game.”
The remarks by Mr. Ban came in his opening speech to a General Assembly meeting on the “responsibility to protect” principle adopted by the United Nations in 2005, which asserts that the organization has an obligation to prevent mass atrocities. The principle grew out of the United Nations’s failure to avert the Rwandan genocide and the mass killings and ethnic cleansings in the Balkans conflict.The remarks by Mr. Ban came in his opening speech to a General Assembly meeting on the “responsibility to protect” principle adopted by the United Nations in 2005, which asserts that the organization has an obligation to prevent mass atrocities. The principle grew out of the United Nations’s failure to avert the Rwandan genocide and the mass killings and ethnic cleansings in the Balkans conflict.
Despite the adoption of that principle, Mr. Ban said, “atrocities continue to be committed, and we continue to face challenges in our efforts to protect people from them.”Despite the adoption of that principle, Mr. Ban said, “atrocities continue to be committed, and we continue to face challenges in our efforts to protect people from them.”
Mr. Ban cited the Syrian conflict as a case in point, declaring, “Our collective failure to prevent atrocity crimes in Syria over the past two and a half years will remain a heavy burden on the standing of the United Nations and its member states.”Mr. Ban cited the Syrian conflict as a case in point, declaring, “Our collective failure to prevent atrocity crimes in Syria over the past two and a half years will remain a heavy burden on the standing of the United Nations and its member states.”
He expressed hope that the “current discussions related to safeguarding Syria’s chemical weapon stocks will lead to the Security Council playing an effective role in promoting an end to the Syrian tragedy.”He expressed hope that the “current discussions related to safeguarding Syria’s chemical weapon stocks will lead to the Security Council playing an effective role in promoting an end to the Syrian tragedy.”
Samantha Power, the new American ambassador to the United Nations, also made Syria the theme in her remarks to the conference, reinforcing the Obama administration’s contention that Syrian forces were responsible for an Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack in the suburbs of the Syrian capital, Damascus, that killed hundreds and led to the American threat to punish those forces with missile strikes in response. Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, has denied culpability, asserting that insurgents must have carried out the attack.Samantha Power, the new American ambassador to the United Nations, also made Syria the theme in her remarks to the conference, reinforcing the Obama administration’s contention that Syrian forces were responsible for an Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack in the suburbs of the Syrian capital, Damascus, that killed hundreds and led to the American threat to punish those forces with missile strikes in response. Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, has denied culpability, asserting that insurgents must have carried out the attack.
The responsibility to protect clause, Ms. Power said, “should have compelled Assad to protect his people rather than attack them, and it should have compelled his partners in the international community to step in earlier, lend advice and assistance, and prevent the situation from reaching its current metastatic proportions.”The responsibility to protect clause, Ms. Power said, “should have compelled Assad to protect his people rather than attack them, and it should have compelled his partners in the international community to step in earlier, lend advice and assistance, and prevent the situation from reaching its current metastatic proportions.”