Russia will soon formally present a draft resolution to the UN Security Council that urges the build up of the fight against Daesh, the country’s foreign minister said Wednesday.
Sergei Lavrov’s comments came during a Security Council meeting chaired by Russia on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings, as Moscow announced it conducted its first airstrikes inside Syria.
The resolution was proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin during his address to the General Assembly on Monday. Lavrov said the proposal would coordinate “all forces standing up against Islamic State and other terrorist structures.”
"What we require are collective agreed approaches backed by Security Council," Lavrov said, adding that Russia is ready to open "standing channels of communication" with the coalition, as he named countries he believes will play a key role in resolving the chaos in Syria, including Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, the U.S. and China.
Speaking at the same meeting, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the Council members’ foreign ministers to support UN Special Envoy Stefan De Mistura’s efforts to facilitate talks on a political transition in Syria and bring the warring parties back to the negotiating table.
“The Middle East and North Africa are in the midst of some of the deadliest conflicts and worst humanitarian emergencies of our times,” Ban said. “Terrorist groups such as ISIL and Al-Qaeda affiliates are elevating the horror and complicating the search for solutions.”
He described the Syrian conflict as “the most intractable” because it has generated one peril after another with the use of chemical weapons, the rise of Daesh and a refugee crisis that has left an estimated 10 million victims displaced.
The Secretary General also noted that the crises and conflicts in Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen all expose similar horrors.
“We need to take urgent measures to protect civilians from widespread violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. We have an obligation to the Syrian people to help ensure accountability for serious crimes,” he said.
Ban also told ministers that he would present a comprehensive plan of action outlining ways to deal with terrorism and extremism.
Meanwhile, France’s foreign minister harshly criticized the Council for not taking action in Syria.
"In face of the Syrian tragedy, and barbarism of Daesh, the Security Council is unfortunately the council of helplessness," said Laurent Fabius. "We need to study proposals to create safe zones or no-fly zones in which civilians' safety would be guaranteed."
He also condemned the Russian military build-up inside Syria, saying the destiny of Syrians should not be not limited to a choice between the regime and terrorism.
"The Security Council must, once and for all, prohibit the shelling of barrels bombs and chlorine in Syria," he said. "We must fight against the terrorists of Daesh and other radical groups, but not against the forces of the moderate opposition," he added.
