UN Chief Says Slaughter" In Syria As A "Shameful Symbol Of The Int'lcommunity

Describing the more than four years of "slaughter" in Syria as a "shameful symbol of the international community's divisions and failure," United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appealed to the Security Council to endorse his Special Envoy's recommendations on reaching the political solution that "all parties claim to support."

Laying out key steps in a process to end the violence, Geneva Communiqué, adopted in 2012 by the first international conference on the issue and later endorsed by the Security Council, calls, among others, for the establishment of a transitional governing body, with full executive powers and made up by members of the present Government and the opposition and other groups, as part of agreed principles and guidelines for a Syrian-led political transition.

The UN chief said that even "amidst gaping fault lines" both Syrians and external actors alike, "possess a shared sense of concern regarding the threshold that the conflict has now reached."

Ban said "no one wants to risk the chaos of an uncontrolled transition in Damascus."

Secretary-General called upon the Council Members to use "political momentum that has been generated by the nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 countries."

He explained that "the unity that generated that agreement can help point the way towards conflict resolution in Syria and greater stability across the region."

After extensive consultations which included more than 200 individuals, de Mistura came up with what the Secretary-General called a "viable alternative," which the Special Envoy presented himself this morning to the 15 Council members, a day after the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Stephen O'Brien, addressed the 15-member body, painting a grim picture of the situation on the ground in Syria.

De Mistura said that "the question over the devolution of executive authority to a transitional body" remains "the most polarizing element" of the Geneva Communique.

De Mistura told Council Members that consultations however, have shown that it is not yet time for Geneva III conference.

Instead, Special Envoy proposed "a deepening, getting much deeper on those issues in the Geneva Communique which are not so controversial and analyzing those which can be controversial."

De Mistura wants to form working groups that will start generating movement towards a "Syrian-owned framework document" on the implementation of the Geneva Communiqué.

He said "I now therefore intend to invite Syrians to parallel, simultaneous, thematic discussions through intra-Syrian working groups, addressing the key aspects of the Geneva Communique, as identified by them in the first phase of the Consultations."

In that regard, he stressed, the support of the Security Council will be "critical" to convince all Syrian and regional players to get involved.

The Secretary General said he stands ready to convene a "high-level international conference" to endorse any recommendations or agreement that the Syrian-led political process his Special Envoy intends to initiate may reach, including on the issue of the Transitional Governing Body.

At the press stakeout after the meeting, Ban told reporters that "Iran is a crucially important player in the region" and that he expect that Iran now "plays a very important role and a very constructive role in addressing many issues, including this one."
STORY: UN / SYRIA BAN DE MISTURA
SOURCE : UNIFEED-UNTV
RESTRICTIONS : NONE
LANGUAGE : ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE : 29 JULY 2015, NEW YORK CITY

SHOTLIST:

RECENT

1. Wide shot, exterior of UNHQ

29 JULY 2015, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Med shot, president
4. Wide shot, meeting room
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations:
"After more than four years of slaughter, the Syrian conflict is a shameful symbol of the international community's divisions and failure. I am profoundly disappointed that this Council's resolutions on Syria have not been implemented – neither on ending the violence nor on easing humanitarian suffering or combatting terrorism and foreign fighters."
6. Cutaway, delegates
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations:
"Amidst gaping fault lines, there are points of consensus upon which a credible political process can be constructed. Syrians and external actors alike possess a shared sense of concern regarding the threshold that the conflict has now reached. No one wants to risk the chaos of an uncontrolled transition in Damascus."
8. Cutaway, Syrian representative
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations:
"We must also build on the political momentum that has been generated by the nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 countries. The unity that generated that agreement can help point the way towards conflict resolution in Syria and greater stability across the region."
10. Wide shot, De Mistura taking his seat at the Council table
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Steffan De Mistura, Special Envoy for Syria:
"While common ground exists, the question over the devolution of executive authority to a transitional body – let's be honest with ourselves - remains the most polarizing element of the Coimnunique. For some, this means that the TGB, Transitional Governing Body is an instrument to hand over power. Some political and armed opposition groups generally reject any notion of power-sharing with the current government in Damascus. The Syrian government accepted in theory to discuss the TGB at the Geneva II Conference but continues to reject the concept as unconstitutional."
12. Cutaway, delegates
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Steffan De Mistura, Special Envoy for Syria:
"Regretfully, the Consultations also confirmed that achieving an agreement on this is difficult in the current Syrian context. In fact, many urged us not to convene a Geneva III conference yet, because we are not yet there."
14. Cutaway, delegates
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Steffan De Mistura, Special Envoy for Syria:
"What I am today proposing is actually a deepening, getting much more deeper on those issues in the Geneva Communique which are not so controversial and analysing those which can be controversial. I now therefore intend to invite Syrians to parallel, simultaneous, thematic discussions through intra-Syrian working groups, addressing the key aspects of the Geneva Communique, as identified by them in the first phase of the Consultations."
16. Zoom out end of the meeting
17. Pan left, Ban and De Mistura coming to stakeout
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations:
"Iran is a crucially important player in the region. Therefore my expectation, and when I spoke to Foreign Minister [Javad] Zarif, and also the Ambassador here, that we expect that Iran now plays a very important role and a very constructive role in addressing many issues, including this one."
19. Wide shot, Ban and De Mistura shaking hands and leaving