Syria Conflict

Syria and Security Council in 2013

United States views on international law [1] in relation to Syria and Security Council: On May 15, 2013, Ambassador DiCarlo delivered a statement on a draft resolution on Syria that was co-sponsored by the United States. Like previous efforts to pass a strong Syria resolution at the Security Council, this one was unsuccessful. Ambasssador DiCarlo's remarks are excerpted below and available at (link resource) usun.state.gov/briefing/statements/209430.htm.

Some Aspects of Security Council

…Over the last 26 months we have witnessed a brutal conflict in Syria. The Assad regime, drawing upon an arsenal of heavy weapons, aircraft, ballistic missiles, and—potentially— chemical weapons, has killed or injured untold numbers of civilians who for many months manifested their opposition purely through peaceful protest. The sustained violence has created a severe humanitarian crisis with more than 1.4 million refugees and 4.25 million internally displaced persons within Syria.

Developments

The consequences of this crisis are growing more dire not only within Syria, but across the region. The generosity of the governments and people of Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and others who host large numbers of refugees has been extraordinary, but these countries now face grave threats to their security and an overwhelming economic burden. It is clear that we need a Syrian-led peaceful political transition.

Details

With this in mind, the United States and the Russian Federation announced on May 7 an initiative to bring the Syrian regime and the opposition together in an effort to try to advance a political solution under the framework agreed to in Geneva in June 2012. In our view, the resolution before you is consistent with this latest initiative. Adopting this resolution will send a clear message that the political solution we all seek is the best way to end the suffering of the people of Syria.

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We support this resolution, have co-sponsored it, and urge member states to vote in favor

of it.

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In September, in briefings with international partners at the UN and at a Security Council session on Syria, the United States presented its conclusion that the Assad regime had carried out a mass casualty chemical weapons attack against the Syrian people on August 21, 2013. Ambassador Power's remarks at the Security Council on September 5, 2013 are excerpted below and available at (link resource) usun.state.gov/briefing/statements/213849.htm. For further discussion of the UN Security Council's actions on Syria's chemical weapons, see Chapter 19.F.1.

Resources

Notes

1. Security Council in the Digest of United States Practice in International Law