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UN security council agree resolution on Syrian peace process UN security council adopts resolution on Syrian peace process
(35 minutes later)
The text of a draft UN security council resolution on a Syrian peace process has been agreed by its five permanent members, diplomats have said. The resolution, which will be presented to the remaining 10 members, will call for all sides to stop attacks on civilians. The council will meet in New York on Friday at 4pm (9pm GMT) and is expected to accept the text, which will set out a timetable for talks between the Syrian government and opposition, with a start date of early January. The UN security council has unanimously agreed a resolution endorsing an international roadmap for a peace process in Syria, a rare show of unity among major powers on a conflict that has claimed more than 250,000 lives.
The four-page draft, seen by Reuters, backs a nationwide ceasefire in Syria to come into effect “as soon as the representatives of the Syrian government and the opposition have begun initial steps towards a political transition under UN auspices”. The council adopted the text at a meeting in New York on Friday, which sets out a timetable for talks between the Syrian government and opposition, with a start date of early January.
The statement backs a nationwide ceasefire in Syria to come into effect “as soon as the representatives of the Syrian government and the opposition have begun initial steps towards a political transition under UN auspices”.
According to the Associated Press (AP), Russia’s deputy foreign minister confirmed the reports, saying that the plan was to adopt the resolution on Friday. “There is an agreement,” Gennady Gatilov told reporters.According to the Associated Press (AP), Russia’s deputy foreign minister confirmed the reports, saying that the plan was to adopt the resolution on Friday. “There is an agreement,” Gennady Gatilov told reporters.
In addition, the US and French ambassadors both expressed optimism, the AP reported. In addition, the US and French ambassadors both expressed optimism, AP reported.
Speaking as the news broke, the US president, Barack Obama, said that the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, must leave, having lost all legitimacy. Speaking before the news broke, Barack Obama said that the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, must leave – having lost all legitimacy.
“I think that Assad is going to have to leave in order for the country to stop the bloodletting and for all the parties involved to be able to move forward in a non-sectarian way. He has lost legitimacy in the eyes of a large majority of the country,” Obama said at his end-of-year press conference at the White House. “I think that Assad is going to have to leave, in order for the country to stop the bloodletting and for all the parties involved to be able to move forward in a non-sectarian way,” Obama said at his end-of-year press conference at the White House. “He has lost legitimacy in the eyes of a large majority of the country.”
Earlier this week, the British foreign secretary Philip Hammond expressed hope that Friday would bring an end to divisions over the resolution and that the removal of Assad remained an objective of the UK. Earlier this week, the British foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, expressed hope that Friday would bring an end to divisions over the resolution, and said that the removal of Assad remained an objective of the UK.
But, according to the AP, the text did not make explicit mention of the role Assad would play. It reportedly calls the transition towards a new government Syrian-led and Syrian-owned, stressing that the “Syrian people will decide the future” of the country. According to AP, however, the text did not make explicit mention of the role Assad would play. It reportedly calls the transition towards a new government Syrian-led and Syrian-owned, stressing that the “Syrian people will decide the future” of the country.
It also requests that UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon convene representatives of the Syrian government and opposition “to engage in formal negotiations on a political transition process on an urgent basis, with a target of early January 2016 for the initiation of talks”. It also requests that UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, convene representatives of the Syrian government and opposition “to engage in formal negotiations on a political transition process on an urgent basis, with a target of early January 2016 for the initiation of talks”.
Within six months, the process should establish “credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governance,” with UN-supervised “free and fair elections” to be held within 18 months, the AP reoported. Within six months, the process should establish “credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governance”, with UN-supervised “free and fair elections” to be held within 18 months, the AP reported.
Related: Iran calls for concerted international effort to beat Isis and end Syrian war
The draft resolution would call on the UN to prepare options for a mechanism to monitor a ceasefire within one month of the document’s adoption, according to Reuters. Furthermore, the agency said, it would endorse the continued battle to defeat Islamic State militants.The draft resolution would call on the UN to prepare options for a mechanism to monitor a ceasefire within one month of the document’s adoption, according to Reuters. Furthermore, the agency said, it would endorse the continued battle to defeat Islamic State militants.
After the text was agreed on Friday, the US ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, set about the task of briefing the remaining 10 members of the council on it ahead of the meeting, Reuters reported, citing unnamed diplomats. After the text was primarily agreed earlier on Friday, the US ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, set about the task of briefing the remaining 10 members of the council on it ahead of the meeting, Reuters reported, citing unnamed diplomats.
The US, China and Russia are all permanent members of the UN security council, as are France and the UK.The US, China and Russia are all permanent members of the UN security council, as are France and the UK.
The 10 non-permanent members, to whom the text was being briefed ahead of the meeting, currently include Spain, Nigeria and New Zealand. Also represented are Angola, Chile and Malaysia, as well as Jordan, Lithuania, Venezuela and Chad.The 10 non-permanent members, to whom the text was being briefed ahead of the meeting, currently include Spain, Nigeria and New Zealand. Also represented are Angola, Chile and Malaysia, as well as Jordan, Lithuania, Venezuela and Chad.