Security Council resolution 2042 (2012) [on authorization of the deployment of an advance team of up to 30 unarmed military observers to the Syrian Arab Republic]
Symbol: S/RES/2042(2012)
Date: 2012-04-14
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/67 [222] SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC SITUATION
Subjects: Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States on the Syrian Crisis|UN Supervision Mission in the Syrian Arab Republic|POLITICAL VIOLENCE|INTERNAL SECURITY|MILITARY PERSONNEL|SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC|HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS|TROOP WITHDRAWAL|ARMED FORCES|FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT|HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE|CEASEFIRES
Votes in favour: 15
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 0
Voting record:
country: AZERBAIJAN
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: COLOMBIA
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: GERMANY
vote: yes
country: GUATEMALA
vote: yes
country: INDIA
vote: yes
country: MOROCCO
vote: yes
country: PAKISTAN
vote: yes
country: PORTUGAL
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: yes
country: SOUTH AFRICA
vote: yes
country: TOGO
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                    S/RES/2042 (2012)
               Security Council                                                Distr.: General
                                                                               14 April 2012




               Resolution 2042 (2012)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 6751st meeting, on
               14 April 2012

                    The Security Council,
                    Recalling its Presidential Statements of 3 August 2011, 21 March 2012 and
               5 April 2012, and also recalling all relevant resolutions of the General Assembly,
                     Reaffirming its support to the Joint Special Envoy for the United Nations and
               the League of Arab States, Kofi Annan, and his work, following General Assembly
               resolution A/RES/66/253 of 16 February 2012 and relevant resolutions of the
               League of Arab States,
                     Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and
               territorial integrity of Syria, and to the purposes and principles of the Charter,
                    Condemning the widespread violations of human rights by the Syrian
               authorities, as well as any human rights abuses by armed groups, recalling that those
               responsible shall be held accountable, and expressing its profound regret at the
               death of many thousands of people in Syria,
                     Noting the Syrian government’s commitment on 25 March 2012 to implement
               the six-point proposal of the Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the
               League of Arab States, and to implement urgently and visibly its commitments, as it
               agreed to do in its communication to the Envoy of 1 April 2012, to (a) cease troop
               movements towards population centres, (b) cease all use of heavy weapons in such
               centres, and (c) begin pullback of military concentrations in and around population
               centres, and to implement these in their entirety by no later than 10 April 2012, and
               noting also the Syrian opposition’s expressed commitment to respect the cessation
               of violence, provided the government does so,
                      Noting the Envoy’s assessment that, as of 12 April 2012, the parties appeared
               to be observing a cessation of fire and that the Syrian government had started to
               implement its commitments, and supporting the Envoy’s call for an immediate and
               visible implementation by the Syrian government of all elements of the Envoy’s sixpoint proposal in their entirety to achieve a sustained cessation of armed violence in
               all its forms by all parties,
                   1.    Reaffirms its full support for and calls for the urgent, comprehensive, and
               immediate implementation of all elements of the Envoy’s six-point proposal (annex)

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               aimed at bringing an immediate end to all violence and human rights violations,
               securing humanitarian access and facilitating a Syrian-led political transition
               leading to a democratic, plural political system, in which citizens are equal
               regardless of their affiliations, ethnicities or beliefs, including through commencing
               a comprehensive political dialogue between the Syrian government and the whole
               spectrum of the Syrian opposition;
                     2.   Calls upon the Syrian government to implement visibly its commitments
               in their entirety, as it agreed to do in its communication to the Envoy of 1 April
               2012, to (a) cease troop movements towards population centres, (b) cease all use of
               heavy weapons in such centres, and (c) begin pullback of military concentrations in
               and around population centres;
                    3.    Underlines the importance attached by the Envoy to the withdrawal of all
               Syrian government troops and heavy weapons from population centres to their
               barracks to facilitate a sustained cessation of violence;
                    4.     Calls upon all parties in Syria, including the opposition, immediately to
               cease all armed violence in all its forms;
                     5.     Expresses its intention, subject to a sustained cessation of armed violence
               in all its forms by all parties, to establish immediately, after consultations between
               the Secretary-General and the Syrian government, a United Nations supervision
               mission in Syria to monitor a cessation of armed violence in all its forms by all
               parties and relevant aspects of the Envoy’s six-point proposal, on the basis of a
               formal proposal from the Secretary-General, which the Security Council requests to
               receive not later than 18 April 2012;
                    6.    Calls upon the Syrian government to ensure the effective operation of the
               mission, including its advance team, by: facilitating the expeditious and unhindered
               deployment of its personnel and capabilities as required to fulfil its mandate;
               ensuring its full, unimpeded, and immediate freedom of movement and access as
               necessary to fulfil its mandate; allowing its unobstructed communications; and
               allowing it to freely and privately communicate with individuals throughout Syria
               without retaliation against any person as a result of interaction with the mission;
                     7.    Decides to authorize an advance team of up to 30 unarmed military
               observers to liaise with the parties and to begin to report on the implementation of a
               full cessation of armed violence in all its forms by all parties, pending the
               deployment of the mission referred to in paragraph 5 and calls upon the Syrian
               government and all other parties to ensure that the advance team is able to carry out
               its functions according to the terms set forth in paragraph 6;
                    8.    Calls upon the parties to guarantee the safety of the advance team
               without prejudice to its freedom of movement and access, and stresses that the
               primary responsibility in this regard lies with the Syrian authorities;
                   9.    Requests the Secretary-General to report immediately to the Security
               Council any obstructions to the effective operation of the team by any party;
                     10. Reiterates its call for the Syrian authorities to allow immediate, full and
               unimpeded access of humanitarian personnel to all populations in need of
               assistance, in accordance with international law and guiding principles of
               humanitarian assistance and calls upon all parties in Syria, in particular the Syrian



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           authorities, to cooperate fully with the United Nations and relevant humanitarian
           organizations to facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance;
                11. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Council on the
           implementation of this resolution by 19 April 2012;
                12. Expresses its intention to assess the implementation of this resolution and
           to consider further steps as appropriate;
                13.   Decides to remain seized of the matter.




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S/RES/2042 (2012)


Annex
               Six-Point Proposal of the Joint Special Envoy of the
               United Nations and the League of Arab States

               (1) commit to work with the Envoy in an inclusive Syrian-led political process to
               address the legitimate aspirations and concerns of the Syrian people, and, to this
               end, commit to appoint an empowered interlocutor when invited to do so by the
               Envoy;
               (2) commit to stop the fighting and achieve urgently an effective United Nations
               supervised cessation of armed violence in all its forms by all parties to protect
               civilians and stabilize the country;
                    To this end, the Syrian government should immediately cease troop
               movements towards, and end the use of heavy weapons in, population centres, and
               begin pullback of military concentrations in and around population centres;
                    As these actions are being taken on the ground, the Syrian government should
               work with the Envoy to bring about a sustained cessation of armed violence in all its
               forms by all parties with an effective United Nations supervision mechanism.
                     Similar commitments would be sought by the Envoy from the opposition and
               all relevant elements to stop the fighting and work with him to bring about a
               sustained cessation of armed violence in all its forms by all parties with an effective
               United Nations supervision mechanism;
               (3) ensure timely provision of humanitarian assistance to all areas affected by the
               fighting, and to this end, as immediate steps, to accept and implement a daily two
               hour humanitarian pause and to coordinate exact time and modalities of the daily
               pause through an efficient mechanism, including at local level;
               (4) intensify the pace and scale of release of arbitrarily detained persons,
               including especially vulnerable categories of persons, and persons involved in
               peaceful political activities, provide without delay through appropriate channels a
               list of all places in which such persons are being detained, immediately begin
               organizing access to such locations and through appropriate channels respond
               promptly to all written requests for information, access or release regarding such
               persons;
               (5) ensure freedom of movement throughout the country for journalists and a
               non-discriminatory visa policy for them;
               (6) respect freedom of association and the right to demonstrate peacefully as
               legally guaranteed.




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