Ban: UN security council's paralysis in Syria harms people

The UN Security Council's inability to stop the fighting in Syria has dented its credibility and damaged the concept that governments should protect people caught in conflict, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday. "The council's paralysis does the Syrian people harm," Ban said at a debate on the responsibility-to-protect concept developed by the United Nations. He was referring to vetoes by Russia and China, which stopped the council from adopting sanctions against Syria. "It (paralysis) also damages its own credibility and weakens a concept that was adopted with such hope and expectations," Ban said. "We cannot stand by while populations fall victims to these grave crimes and violations," Ban said.