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UN / SYRIA CHEMICAL WEAPONS
STORY: UN / SYRIA CHEMICAL WEAPONS
TRT: 2.43
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 6 FEBRUARY 2014, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters
6 FEBRUARY 2014, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Sigrid Kaag walks to stakeout position
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
3. Close up, camera
6 FEBRUARY 2014, NEW YORK CITY
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sigrid Kaag, Special Coordinator of the joint mission of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW):
“The deadline of 30 June 2014 has been stated and reiterated by the Secretary-General that it can be met. That is the important one. Intermediate milestones ideally should have been met. They have not been met. There are delays. What we are now doing is to ensure that a plan would be available against which further benchmarks can take place, that allows for planning, preparation, swift implementation. We also know there is an acceleration of efforts and there can be an intensification of efforts; and that is our call and that is also what we stated and what we work with the Syrian authorities. There is a clear expectation.”
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
5. Close up, reporter’s notepad
6 FEBRUARY 2014, NEW YORK CITY
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sigrid Kaag, Special Coordinator of the joint mission of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW):
“There’s been much progress. We are expecting a more detailed plan to be submitted, to be shared. So that we can look at the efforts to engage in acceleration and intensification and clearly also the call on volume, systemic, predictable movement is very clear. That’s an ask, it’s an expectation also of the Security Council. I am not going to engage into statistics, in numbers. Syrian Arab Republic is accountable to the Chemical Weapons Convention and to the Security Council Resolution 2118. So, it has to meet its commitments.”
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
7. Close up, reporter typing mobile phone
6 FEBRUARY 2014, NEW YORK CITY
8. Wide shot, Sigrid Kaag walks away stakeout position
9. Wide shot, Samantha Power walks to the stakeout position
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
10. Close up, camera
6 FEBRUARY 2014, NEW YORK CITY
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Samantha Power, US Permanent Representative to the United Nations:
“We know the regime has the ability to move these weapons and materials because they have moved them multiple times over the course of this conflict. It is time for the Assad government to stop its foot-dragging, establish a transportation plan, and stick to it. We urge all member-states with influence over the regime to persuade it to move forward with the transportation phase.”
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
12. Close up, reporters typing on laptops
6 FEBRUARY 2014, NEW YORK CITY
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Samantha Power, US Permanent Representative to the United Nations:
“By delaying, the Assad regime is only increasing the costs to nations that have made donations for shipping, escorts, and other services related to the removal effort. But it also encouraging heightened risks that these weapons will be used again, by regime elements, or will fall into the hands of terrorists.”
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
14. Close up, reporter writing on notepad
6 FEBRUARY 2014, NEW YORK CITY
15. Wide shot, Samantha Power walks away from stakeout position
Speaking to the press at UN Headquarters in New York following her briefing to the Security Council, Sigrid Kaag, Special Coordinator of the UN-OPCW Joint Mission, said that the 30 June deadline to complete the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons can be met.
In this regard, she said “that is the important one. Intermediate milestones ideally should have been met. They have not been met. There are delays. What we are now doing is to ensure that a plan would be available against which further benchmarks can take place, that allows for planning, preparation, swift implementation.”
She added “we also know there is an acceleration of efforts and there can be an intensification of efforts; and that is our call and that is also what we stated and what we work with the Syrian authorities. There is a clear expectation.”
Kaag said “we are expecting a more detailed plan to be submitted, to be shared. So that we can look at the efforts to engage in acceleration and intensification and clearly also the call on volume, systemic, predictable movement is very clear.”
She underlined “Syrian Arab Republic is accountable to the Chemical Weapons Convention and to the Security Council Resolution 2118. So, it has to meet its commitments.”
Also speaking to the press, US ambassador Samantha Power noted that the Syrian government has fallen behind in complying with its international obligations to remove chemical agents.
She stressed that Syrian authorities must immediately take the necessary steps to fulfill its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Conventions and UN Security Council Resolution 2118.
Power said “we know the regime has the ability to move these weapons and materials because they have moved them multiple times over the course of this conflict. It is time for the Assad government to stop its foot-dragging, establish a transportation plan, and stick to it.”
She also urged “all member-states with influence over the regime to persuade it to move forward with the transportation phase.”
The US ambassador noted that the rest of the international community is ready -- and has been ready-- to do its part; adding that Denmark and Norway have had ships waiting off the coast of Syria since early January, Italy has readied its transloading facilities and the U.S. ship, the CAPE RAY, will soon arrive in the Mediterranean.
Power said “by delaying, the Assad regime is only increasing the costs to nations that have made donations for shipping, escorts, and other services related to the removal effort. But it also encouraging heightened risks that these weapons will be used again, by regime elements, or will fall into the hands of terrorists.”
She stressed that after eliminating Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile, the international community must continue to work against “the daily horror and violence convulsing the country”.
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