UN SECURITY COUNCIL MEETS OVER SYRIA
THE COMMITTEE GATHERS IN A SECLUDED FARMHOUSE ON THE SOUTHERN TIP OF SWEDEN IN A BID TO OVERCOME DEEP DIVISIONS OVER HOW TO END THE WAR IN SYRIA
BACKAKRA: The UN Security Council met in a secluded farmhouse on the southern tip of Sweden on Saturday in a bid to overcome deep divisions over how to end the war in Syria. In A irst For THE Security Council, which normally holds its annual brainstorming session in upstate New York, THE 15 Ambassadors AND UN Secretary-general Antonio Guterres were this year invited to hold an informal MEETING In BACKAKRA By SWEDEN, a non-permanent member of the body. The United Nations’ special envoy for SYRIA, STAFFAN DE Mistura, Is EXPECTED on Sunday.
“We still face a very serious divide on that (SYRIA) matter,” Guterres SAID As he arrived along with the ambassadors. “WE really NEED to ind A way In relation to the violation of international law that the use of chemical weapons represents,” HE ADDED. The farmhouse is the summer RESIDENCE of DAG Hammarskjold, THE United Nations’ second secretarygeneral who died in a plane crash in AFRICA In 1961. Situated in the heart of a nature reserve, Just A stone’s throw From THE BALTIC SEA, THE Farmhouse Consists of four buildings around a courtyard and has been completely renovated in recent years.
The southern wing serves as the summer residence for the Swedish Academy which awards the Nobel Literature Prize.
With both New York and Damascus thousands of kilometres Away, THE Council Is Exploring “THE means to strengthen and make more effective United Nations peacekeeping missions,” THE SWEDISH Government SAID. SWEDISH FOREIGN Minister Margot Wallstrom welcomed the decision to Hold THE MEETING In SWEDEN, “WHERE
there is a long tradition of peaceful Conlict prevention AND resolution”.
But she warned against being too hopeful the Syrian issue would be resolved over the weekend.
“Hopefully there will be some new ideas on the table and I think it’ll be on those tracks: the humanitarian situation, THE CHEMICAL weapons,” SHE SAID. But “not even the beautiful settings like THESE CAN solve All THE problems”, the minister added.
NIKKI HALEY, THE US Ambassador to THE UN, SAID on THE SYRIA Issue: “WE’RE not HAVING that much success, we’re still deadlocked.
“Retreats like this are very important — to get away from New York sometimes and discuss these things in A way that we CAN really try AND ind A solution.” BRITISH Ambassador KAREN Pierce said: “We are determined to try AND ind A workable solution, so we will keep doing that with our Russian Colleagues.” WHILE THE war In SYRIA Is not THE only topic of THE DELIBERATIONS, it is high up on the agenda because it was an issue that divided council members deeply in recent months. Skau SAID BACKAKRA was A “itting AND Inspiring venue” to reconnect with the power of diplomacy. “It’s A PLACE to roll up our sleeves, take off our jackets and ties and come up with some real and meaningful ways Forward,” HE SAID.
‘No excessive hopes’
AIR strikes By THE US, UK AND FRANCE on April 14 TARGETED THREE sites, WHICH the countries argued were used by the Syrian regime of Bashar Al Assad for a chemical weapons programme.
Syria has been accused of using chemical weapons in an attack a week EARLIER In Douma, THE last REBEL stronghold near Damascus. Assad and Russian allies have
denied that Syria was responsible for THE Attack, WHICH ACCORDING to rescuers, left more than 40 people DEAD. But THE Western powers insist that the Syrian regime had crossed a red line.
THE AIR strikes, CONDUCTED without A Security Council resolution, HAVE LED to IERCE tensions BETWEEN Russia AND THE other permanent Council members, THE US, FRANCE, BRITAIN AND CHINA.
Moscow HAS used Its veto on THE Council 12 times SINCE 2011.
opcw inspectors
A team of inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) visited a site In Douma, SYRIA on Saturday to collect samples as it tries to determine whether such weapons were used there on April 7, THE AGENCY SAID.
In A statement, THE OPCW SAID it would now evaluate and consider whether the team needs to make a second visit to Douma.
Samples will be transported back to the Netherlands and onward to the organisation’s network of designated labs for analysis.
Based on the analysis of the sample results as well other information and materials COLLECTED By THE team, THE mission would compile a report and submit it to the organisation’s member states, THE statement SAID. The OPCW has been investigating use of toxic CHEMICALS In Syria’s CIVIL war SINCE 2014. Inspectors HAD BEEN trying to reach Douma for several days but were delayed after an adVANCE security DETAIL was ired upon on April 17. The OPCW team will attempt to determine whether chemical weapons were used AND IF so, WHICH. It Is not mandated to conclude which side in THE Conlict used them.