UNSC to send 300 UN military observers to Syria

In response to a request by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon earlier this week, the UN Security Council decided on Saturday to establish a UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) for an initial period of 90 days and dispatch initially up to 300 unarmed UN military observers, as well as a civilian component, to monitor a shaky ceasefire reached between government and opposition forces on April 12th. The Council acted unanimously after Russia and Council western members reached agreement and produced a compromised text late Friday after long hours of wrangling on two separate competing drafts. In order to allay western members' concern, the dispatch of the observers will not be automatic. They "shall be deployed expeditiously subject to an assessment by the Secretary-General of relevant developments on the ground, including the consolidation of the cessation of violence." The Council authorized last Saturday the dispatch of up to 30 observers. About 12 are already in Syria holding contacts with the government and the opposition on the dispatch of the new wave of monitors. Western members initially wanted the Council to stress the "need for the Syrian government to agree rapidly with the United Nations the independent use of air assets by UNSMIS." When Russia objected, they allowed the Council to "underline the need for the Syrian government and the UN to agree rapidly on appropriate air transportation assets" for UNSMIS. Confronted with another Russian objection, western members also had to give up the idea of having the Council adopt "measures" under afticle 41 of the UN Charter, which means imposing economic sanctions on Damascus, in the event of Syria's non-compliance with this resolution. The compromise reached was to have the Council "express its intention to assess the implementation of this resolution and to consider further steps as appropriate." The Mission's task, besides monitoring the shaky ceasefire, will be to also support the full implementation of the Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan's six-point peace plan aimed at bringing an immediate end to all violence, including the withdrawal of military personnel and heavy weapons from the streets and back to their barracks, securing humanitarian access and facilitating a Syrian-led political transition leading to a democratic, plural political system. The Council called on all parties in Syria, including the opposition, to immediately cease all armed violence in all its forms, and on Damascus in particular, to implement "visibly its commitments in their entirety," as it agreed to do in the Preliminary Understanding it signed with the UN earlier this week, mainly to pull its military personnel and heavy weapons out of the streets and into their barracks. It also called on Damascus to ensure the effective operation of UNSMIS by facilitating the expeditious and unhindered deployment of its personnel and capabilities, and its full, unimpeded, and immediate freedom of movement and access as necessary, including communicate freely and privately with individuals throughout Syria without retaliation against any person. It also invited all Member States to consider making "appropriate contributions" to UNSMIS as requested by the Secretary-General. It requested the Secretary-General and the Syrian government to conclude "without delay" a Status of Mission Agreement (SOMA), and called on the parties, government and opposition alike, to guarantee the safety of UNSMIS personnel, and stressed that the primary responsibility in this regard lies with the Syrian authorities. It further requested the Secretary-General to report immediately to the Council on any obstructions to the effective operation of UNSMIS by any party and on the implementation of this resolution within 15 days of its adoption and every 15 days thereafter, and to submit, as necessary to the Council, proposals for possible adjustments to the UNSMIS mandate. It finally called on Damascus to cooperate fully with the United Nations and relevant humanitarian organizations and allow immediate, full and unimpeded access of their humanitarian personnel to reach all populations in need.