NEW YORK: Kuwait,Germany and Belgium jointly put forward on Thursday a draft resolution to theUN Security Council calling for an immediate ceasefire in the northwesternSyrian province of Idlib. Kuwait, Germany and Belgium - three UNSC members andthe council's three co-penholders for the humanitarian situation in Syria -would work with other members to adopt a draft resolution that aims to put anend to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Idlib, Kuwait's PermanentRepresentative to the UN Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi said in a speech at aspecial UNSC session on the developments in Syria.
"Themilitary escalation in northwestern Syria in the past three months hasdisplaced nearly half a million people and claimed the lives of at least 500civilians," he pointed out. The Kuwaiti envoy reiterated his country'scondemnation of military acts, by any party, that target innocent civilians,healthcare and civilian facilities. He regretted resumption of escalation inthe Syrian province, which has a population of three million, almost a yearafter the signing of the Russian-Turkish Memorandum of Understanding (MoU),which significantly de-escalated the situation there.
Otaibi renewedcalls for all parties to respect international humanitarian and human rightslaws. Counter-terrorism operations in no way absolve any party to a conflictfrom obligations under international law, including compliance with theprinciples of distinction, proportionality, precaution, protection of civiliansand civilian facilities, he emphasized. He expressed concern that the continuedmilitary escalation in northwestern Syria would negatively affect efforts ofthe UN Special Envoy and his team to revive the Syrian political process.
Otaibi stressedthe need to reduce escalation and reach a ceasefire in order to stop bloodshedding of the brotherly Syrian people, who have suffered a lot during thepast few years. He pointed out that Kuwait closely follow up the effortsexerted for formation of the long-awaited Syria's constitutional committee."We hope that the committee will be formed before the beginning of thenext session of the UN General Assembly," he said.
Otaibi assertedthat the constitutional committed line-up should be balanced, inclusive andcredible. He suggested that the political process should be accompanied withseveral confidence-building measures, notable making progress in detainees,prisoners and missing persons dossiers. There is no military solution to theSyrian crisis, but rather a political solution that takes into considerationthe aspirations of the Syrian people in all its components and retains Syria'ssecurity, sovereignty and territorial integrity based on UNSC Resolution 2254and the Geneva Declaration of 2012, he stated.
Otaibi dismissedSyria's representative to the United Nations' allegations of some Kuwaitiinstitutions' involvement in financing terrorism in Syria. "I do notaccept from the Syrian representative or anybody to implicitly or explicitlyaccuse Kuwait (of financing terror) or try to link it, in one way or another,to terrorism," he said.
He stressed thatKuwait gives priority to the humanitarian crisis in Syria and that the Kuwaitigovernment certifies that Kuwaiti charities are carrying out humanitarian workin Syria and have nothing to do with terrorism financing. "We have laws inKuwait that hold accountable those who are linked to any terroristorganization. It is not right (from Syria's representative) to level randomaccusations against people or entities," he said, emphasizing that theseaccusations are "totally untrue." - KUNA