UN / SYRIA ALEPPO RESOLUTION

The Security Council rejected a resolution calling for a humanitarian 7-day ceasefire in the Syrian city of Aleppo. The resolution was vetoed by Russia and China. UNIFEED

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:43
• Production Date: 5 December 2016
• Asset Language: English; Russian; Spanish
• Personal Subject: MATTHEW RYCROFT; VITALY I. CHURKIN
• Corporate Name: SECURITY COUNCIL
• Geographic Subject: SYRIA
• MAMS Id: 1788529
• Parent Id: 1788529
• Alternate Title: unifeed161205c

Description

STORY: UN / SYRIA ALEPPO RESOLUTION
TRT: 02:43
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / SPANISH / RUSIAN / NATS

DATELINE: 05 DECEMBER 2016, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

05 DECEMBER 2016, NEW YORK CITY
2. Various shots, Security Council vote
3. SOUNDUP (Spanish) Román Oyarzun Marchesi, Permanent Representative of Spain to the United Nations:
“Those who would like to vote against, please raise their hands”
6. Various shots, Russian and Chinese representatives voting against resolution
7. Wide shot, Council
8. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations:
“Putting to a vote today by you of the draft resolution on the humanitarian situation in Syria violates the procedures of work of the Security Council since the draft was put into blue only at 11:20 am this morning and it can’t be voted until tomorrow morning, in accordance with the 24 hour rule. There was no consensus on waving this rule. In this case it is of significant importance because the additional time would allow members of the Council to take into account certain new circumstances and to reach a consensus on a resolution.”
9. Wide shot, Churkin addressing the Council
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Michele J. Sison, Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations:
“You’ve heard Russia talk about conversations with the United States. Russia says they were on the cusp of reaching a deal with the United States to allow for some resolution of the situation in Eastern Aleppo and that this resolution undermines the negotiation. That is a made-up alibi. The United States, including Secretary Kerry has continued our bilateral conversations with Russia to try and find some way to relieve the suffering around Eastern Aleppo. However we have not reached a breakthrough because Russia has been more focussed on preserving its military gains than helping Aleppo civilians.”
11. Med shot, Churkin
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Matthew Rycroft, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations:
“They will claim that we made them veto; that there wasn’t enough time for proper consultations; that we force them to a vote for political reasons. These are hackneyed excuses. This resolution was first circulated over a month ago, and yet for most of that time Russia simply refused to engage, more content to support Assad’s onslaught against Aleppo than to negotiate with fellow members of the Security Council.”
13. Wide shot, Council

Storyline

The Security Council today (5 Nov) rejected a resolution calling for a humanitarian 7-day ceasefire in the Syrian city of Aleppo. The resolution was vetoed by Russia and China.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin explained his negative vote on procedural grounds, telling the Council that the vote violated the procedures of work of the Security Council “since the draft was put into blue only at 11:20 am this morning and it can’t be voted until tomorrow morning, in accordance with the 24 hour rule” and added that “there was no consensus on waving this rule.”

He said “the additional time would allow members of the Council to take into account certain new circumstances and to reach a consensus on a resolution.”

United States representative Michele J. Sison said this was “a made-up alibi” and argued that “the United States, including Secretary Kerry has continued our bilateral conversations with Russia to try and find some way to relieve the suffering around Eastern Aleppo. However we have not reached a breakthrough because Russia has been more focussed on preserving its military gains than helping Aleppo civilians.”

British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft told the Council that those who voted against the resolution “will claim that we made them veto; that there wasn’t enough time for proper consultations; that we force them to a vote for political reasons”

Rycroft said “these are hackneyed excuses” and noted that “this resolution was first circulated over a month ago, and yet for most of that time Russia simply refused to engage, more content to support Assad’s onslaught against Aleppo than to negotiate with fellow members of the Security Council.”

The resolution, drafted by Egypt, New Zealand and Spain, called for all parties to end attacks in Aleppo for an initial period of 7 days. It also demands full implementation of a cessation of hostilities in the rest of the country.