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Situation in Syria "remains precarious," UN chief says

19 April 2012 18:56 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said here on Thursday that the situation in Syria "remains highly precarious," and he looks forward to an early action by the UN Security Council on his proposed expansion of the UN ceasefire observation mission in the Middle East country, APA reports citing Xinhua.

"On Syria, the situation remains highly precarious," Ban said when addressing reporters outside the UN Security Council Chambers after he sent a letter to the 15-nation UN body to call for more observers into Syria to monitor the week-old ceasefire in Syria, which has been plunged into a crisis since March 2011.

"Despite the government’s agreement to cease all violence, we still see deeply troubling evidence that it continues," the secretary-general said.

"The past few days in particular has brought reports of renewed and escalating violence, including the shelling of civilian areas, grave abuses by government forces, and attacks by armed groups," said the secretary-general.

On Wednesday night, Ban report to the Security Council about his assessment of the latest developments in Syria, and he offered an update on the deployment of the advance team of UN military observers.

"I have recommended that the Council authorize the establishment of a United Nations supervision mission in Syria, comprising up to 300 military observers supported by a civilian component," he said. "I look forward to the Council’s early action. "

"This is not a decision without risk," he said. "But I believe it can contribute to achieving a just peace and political settlement, reflecting the people’s will in Syria."

"A supervision mission with a clear mandate and the required capacities under the right conditions would contribute to improving the situation on the ground," he said. "It would help advance a cessation of armed violence in all its forms and set the stage for the implementation of the six-point plan in its entirety. "

The six-point plan and a ceasefire deadline were negotiated by Kofi Annan, the joint special envoy of the UN and Arab League for Syria, to end the 13 months of crisis in the Arab country.

Annan’s six-point plan, widely backed by the international community, calls for the withdrawal of heavy weapons and troops from population centers, a daily halt in fighting for the delivery of humanitarian aid and treatment for the wounded, as well as talks between the government and opposition.

The Syrian government has accepted Annan’s six-point plan and the April 10 deadline to put an early end to the fighting in the Middle East country, which has been plunged into the crisis since March 2011.

On Saturday, the UN Security Council decided to send an advance team of up to 30 unarmed military observers to Syria in order to monitor a ceasefire between the Syrian government forces and armed opposition fighters.

The Security Council, in an unanimously adopted resolution, " decides to authorize an advance team of up to 30 unarmed military observers to liaise with the parties and to begin to report on the implementation of a full cessation of armed violence in all its forms by all parties."

The Security Council "expresses its intention, subject to a sustained cessation of armed violence in all its forms by all parties, to establish immediately, after consultations between the secretary-general and the Syrian government, a United Nations supervision mission in Syria to monitor a cessation of armed violence in all its forms by all parties," the resolution said.

In Damascus on Thursday, the United Nations and the Syrian Government formally a greed to a preliminary protocol outlining the functions of the observer mission and the tasks and responsibilities of the Syrian government in this regard.

Syria and the United Nations on Tuesday signed an agreement on the terms of the UN ceasefire monitoring mission.

Damascus has welcomed the dispatch of international observers to monitor the fragile truce because it "has nothing to hide," state-run SANA news agency reported.

"For the mission to succeed, we require the Syrian government’s full cooperation, particularly in ensuring the full freedom of movement and unfettered access and safety and security of personnel, as well as the use of key enabling assets such as helicopters and other transportation," Ban said.

"Again, I emphasize the government of Syria’s responsibility to make this happen," he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Ban met Bashar Ja’afari, the Syrian permanent representative to the UN, and he told reporters that "I strongly underscored this message."

"I also want to highlight the increasingly difficult humanitarian situation within Syria and along its borders," he said. "Approximately 230,000 people, if not more, have been displaced. An estimated one million people are in need."

"Despite assurances from the government, there has been no meaningful progress on the ground," he said. "This is unacceptable. "

"I call on the Syrian authorities to recognize the full urgency of the situation and permit UN agencies and international relief organizations to organize a major humanitarian field operation to help those people in need," he said.

"This will be the focus of tomorrow’s Syria Humanitarian Forum in Geneva," he said.