DUSHANBE, December 21, 2015, Asia-Plus — The UN Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution calling for a ceasefire and political settlement in Syria. The resolution envisions the formation of a unity government and calls for an immediate halt to any attacks on civilian targets.
The Security Council on December 18 endorsed a road map for a peace process in Syria, setting out an early-January timetable for United Nations-facilitated talks between the Government and opposition members, as well as the outlines of a nationwide ceasefire to begin as soon as the parties concerned had taken initial steps towards a political transition.
Unanimously adopting resolution 2254 (2015), foreign ministers and others gathered in New York for the third meeting of the International Syria Support Group, the Council reconfirmed its endorsement of the 30 June 2012 Geneva Communiqué, and endorsed the “Vienna Statements” in pursuit of the Communiqué’s implementation as the basis for a Syrian-led, Syrian-owned political transition to end the conflict.
The resolution demands that all parties to the Syrian conflict “immediately cease any attacks against civilians.” A mechanism to monitor, verify, and report on the truce is to be worked out within a month.
Several speakers, including France’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Laurent Fabius, and Lithuania’s Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Andrius Krivas, stressed that President Assad could not be seen as part of the solution to the crisis. However, Venezuela’s representative said that a positive aspect of the Vienna process was the willingness to engage with the Government of President Assad’s, one of the essential actors in the equation.
Syria’s representative said his Government was open to any sincere effort to overcome the crisis, and ready to participate in efforts whereby Syrians would take part in a Syrian process without foreign intervention, and which maintained its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Some countries affirmed Syrian sovereignty, yet violated it on the ground by supporting terrorist groups, sending military aircraft to bomb oil installations and imposing unilateral sanctions on the Syrian people. The success of a political process was predicated on the collective fight against terrorism, he said, adding that Syria was ready to end its fight in a manner that would restore normality to areas in which there were armed Syrian opposition members.
The only groups excluded from the ceasefire are Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) and Al-Nusra Front, Al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria.
The resolution also asks the UN to convene formal talks on a transitional government. The talks between the regime and opposition are targeted for early January.
The resolution expressed support for a Syrian-led political process that would set up “inclusive and non-sectarian governance” within six months and schedule a process for drafting a new constitution, with the aim of holding fair elections in 18 months.
