UN SC finishing work on resolution on establishing responsible to chemical attacks in Syria

UNITED NATIONS, August 6. /TASS/. Members of the United Nations Security Council are close to the adoption of a resolution on creating a mechanism of establishing those responsible for the use of chemical weapons in Syria, the Russian permanent mission to the United Nations said on Wednesday. "The work [on the document] is nearing completion. We hope to agree it by Friday," Alexei Zaitsev, the spokesman for the mission, told TASS. A diplomat from another Security Council member country said the draft resolution might be put for voting on Friday. He said the breakthrough in the talks had become possible after Russia and the United States reached agreement on key provisions of the document. The Russian mission refrained from comment. On July 27, Russia’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations Vitaly Churkin told journalists he was content with the progress in the work on the draft resolution. "We are mostly working with the Americans, and do it very professionally, very profoundly. We are trying to understand each other’s arguments and approaches," he said. "I am very contents with the work on this difficult draft resolution with the U.S. delegation in the recent weeks. I hope it will be passed soon." The idea of creating an international mechanism for establishing those responsible for chemical attacks in Syria was advanced by the United States in May. The U.S. side suggested a group of experts be appointed by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The expert team, under Washington’s design, should enjoy enough support to get access to all Syrian sites where poisonous substances were reportedly used. After an investigation, it is to issue a report where it will name those who were behind these episodes. On July 9, the U.S. side presented the initial draft and other delegations joined the discussion. In 2013, thanks to Russia’s and the U.S.’ efforts, an agreement on the destruction of Syria’s chemical arsenals was reached. But in the recent months, parties to the Syrian conflict have been reportedly using chlorine, which is not classified as a chemical weapon in formal terms. Experts from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons(OPCW) said in a report in late 2014 that chlorine had been used as a weapon in three settlements in northern Syria from April to August 2014. The Organization however has no authority to establish responsibility for such attacks. On March 6, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution on the inadmissibility of the warfare use of any poisonous substances, including chlorine, in Syria. The document provides for a possibility of imposing measures under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter should such episodes recur. Read more