UNSC to vote on probe into chemical arms use in Syria: Diplomats
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is set to vote on a draft resolution to assemble a team of investigators tasked with identifying the perpetrators of the chemical weapon attacks in war-ravaged Syria, diplomats say.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, several UN diplomats said on Thursday that the vote on the draft text proposed by the United Stated was scheduled for Friday.
Meanwhile, Alexey Zaytsev, a spokesman for the Russian UN mission told Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency that the vote would likely be on Friday, adding that UN missions have until Thursday evening to raise amendments or objections to the resolution.
The draft document calls on UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to set up a panel with the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) within 20 days to launch a probe the issue.
The panel is expected to “identify to the greatest extent feasible individuals, entities, groups, or governments who were perpetrators, organizers, sponsors or otherwise involved in the use of chemicals as weapons, including chlorine or any other toxic chemical, in the Syrian Arab Republic.”
In another development earlier on Thursday, US Secretary of State John Kerry said that he had agreed with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a meeting in Wednesday on the measure aimed at identifying the perpetrators of chemical weapons attacks in Syria.
The United States has long been accusing Damascus of using chemicals against the Syrian people.
Damascus, however, has constantly dismissed the allegations. Russia has also repeatedly argued that there is no proof that the Syrian government is behind any toxic attacks in the Arab country.
Last year, Syria handed over 1,300 tons of its chemical stockpile to a joint UN-OPCW mission for destruction.
Syria has been fighting against massive foreign-sponsored militancy for the past four years. The conflict has reportedly killed an estimated 230,000 people so far, including nearly 11,500 children.
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