UN / JIM RENEWAL

The United Nations (UN) Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on the renewal of the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) mandate in Syria. UNIFEED

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:15
• Production Date: 31 October 2016
• Asset Language: English; Russian
• Personal Subject: VITALY I. CHURKIN
• Subject Topical: CHEMICAL WEAPONS
• Geographic Subject: SYRIA
• MAMS Id: 1761420
• Parent Id: 1760403
• Alternate Title: unifeed161031d

Description

STORY: UN / JIM RENEWAL
TRT: 01:15
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRCITIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / RUSSIAN / NATS

DATELINE: 31 OCTOBER 2016, NEW YORK CITY

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations Headquarters
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Med shot, Security Council
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Michele J. Sison, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, United States:
“Others may argue that we should have brought in the mandate of the JIM so as to focus on multiple countries. To take time and resources from the JIM’s work in Syria would constitute a significant distraction and further delay its critical work.”
5. Wide shot, Security Council
6. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations:
“We are convinced that the geographic scope of the JIM under these conditions cannot be limited to Syria alone, and the thrust of this has to be aimed at a military chemical threat from non-state entities terrorists for first and for most.”
7. Wide shot, Security Council
8. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations:
“An important pre-condition here would be refraining from politicizing this issue, something that up until now seriously impeded the mechanism’s work. Everyone should understand that it is not a toy in order to implement someone’s goal to yet once again criticize the government of Syria which as we know has already started investigating the conclusion of the JIM at a national level.”
8. Wide shot, Security Council

Storyline

The United Nations (UN) Security Council unanimously adopted the resolution on the renewal of the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) mandate in Syria.

Speaking to the council today (31 Oct), the Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States (US) to the United Nations Michele J. Sison reiterated that the work of the JIM is critically important to identifying the individuals, entities, groups or governments in chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

On JIM’s mandate, Sison said “others may argue that we should have brought in the mandate of the JIM so as to focus on multiple countries. To take time and resources from the JIM’s work in Syria would constitute a significant distraction and further delay its critical work.”

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, whose country is chairing the council for the month, said that the geographic scope of the JIM cannot be limited to Syria alone, adding that “the thrust of this has to be aimed at a military chemical threat from non-state entities, terrorists for first and for most.”

Proposing cooperation from Syrian’s neighboring countries with JIM in implementing its mandate, Churkin said “an important pre-condition here would be refraining from politicalizing this issue, something that up until now seriously impeded the mechanism’s work. Everyone should understand that it is not a toy in order to implement someone’s goal to yet once again criticize the government of Syria which as we know has already started investigating the conclusion of the JIM at a national level.”

JIM’s mandate to determine responsibility for the use of chemical weapons in Syria is extended until 18 November 2016.

On 27 October, JIM presented the conclusions of its 4th report to the Security Council, indicating several instances in which toxic substances were used as weapons by the Syrian Arab armed forces.