| Date: 20/07/2012 Time: 06:35:00 PM |
The Security Council on Friday voted
unanimously to extend the mandate of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria
(UNSMIS) for a final period of 30 days and expressed the willingness to renew
it thereafter if the use of heavy weapons stops and the level of violence
drops.
The Mission's current three-month mandate expires today at midnight..
Commending UNSMIS efforts, the British draft, supported by the US, France,
Germany and Portugal, renews the Mission's mandate for a "final period of 30
days, taking into consideration the Secretary-General's recommendations to
reconfigure the Mission, (and) the operational implications of the
increasingly dangerous security situation in Syria."
It calls upon the parties to assure the safety of UNSMIS personnel without
prejudice to its freedom of movement and access, and stresses that the
"primary responsibility in this regard lies with the Syrian authorities."
It expresses its willingness to renew the Mission's mandate thereafter only
in the event that the Secretary-General reports and the Security Council
confirms the cessation of the use of heavy weapons and a reduction in the
level of violence sufficient to allow UNSMIS to implement its mandate.
It also requested the Secretary-General to report to the Council on the
implementation of this resolution within 15 days of its adoption.
The British draft includes some elements of a rival Pakistani draft
circulated yesterday which would have called for a renewable 45-day period.
Britain and its allies said they would veto the Pakistani draft if put to a
vote because it does not mention the word "final."
Russia and China vetoed a draft resolution yesterday that would have
renewed the Mission's mandate for 45 days. They did so because the same
resolution contained a provision that would have threatened Damascus with
sanctions. |