United Nations Security Council draft resolution S/2017/315
Date: 2017-04-12 (meeting 7922)
Agenda: The situation in the Middle East
Vetoed by: RUSSIA/USSR

United Nations                                                                           S/2017/315
               Security Council                                                Distr.: General
                                                                               12 April 2017

                                                                               Original: English




               France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
               and United States of America: draft resolution

                    The Security Council,
                    Recalling the Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating,
               Poisonous or other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, and the
               Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use
               of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction (CWC) acceded to by the Syrian
               Arab Republic on 14 September 2013, and its resolutions 1540 (2004), 2118 (2013),
               2209 (2015), 2235 (2015), 2314 (2016), and 2319 (2016),
                    Expressing its horror at the reported use of chemical weapons in the Khan
               Shaykhun area of southern Idlib in the Syrian Arab Republic on 4 April 2017
               causing large-scale loss of life and injuries, affirming that the use of chemical
               weapons constitutes a serious violation of international law, and stressing that those
               responsible for any use of chemical weapons must be held accountable,
                     Noting the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has
               announced, in addition to its ongoing investigation, th at its Fact Finding Mission
               (FFM) is in the process of gathering and analysing information on this incident from
               all available sources and will report to the OPCW Executive Council,
                     Recalling that in resolution 2118 (2013) the Council decided that the Syrian
               Arab Republic shall not use, develop, produce, otherwise acquire, stockpile or retain
               chemical weapons or transfer, directly or indirectly, chemical weapons, to other
               States or non-State actors and underscored that no party in Syria should use,
               develop produce acquire, stockpile, retain or transfer chemical weapons,
                     Recalling the report by the Director-General of the OPCW (EC-82/DG18
               dated 6 July 2016) that the OPCW Technical Secretariat is not able to resolve all
               identified gaps, inconsistencies and discrepancies in Syria’s declaration, and
               therefore cannot fully verify that Syria has submitted a declaration that can be
               considered accurate and complete in accordance with the CWC or OPCW Executive
               decision EC-M-33/DEC.1 dated 27 December 2013 or resolution 2118 (2013),
                    Recalling its determination that the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian
               Arab Republic represents a threat to international peace and security,
                     1.    Condemns in the strongest terms the reported use of chemical weapons in
               the Syrian Arab Republic, in particular the attack on Khan Shaykhun reported on
               4 April 2017, expresses its outrage that individuals continue to be killed and injured
               by chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic, and expresses its determination
               that those responsible must be held accountable;



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S/2017/315

                  2.    Expresses its full support to the OPCW FFM, demands that all parties
             provide delay-free and safe access to any sites deemed relevant by the OPCW FFM,
             and, as applicable, by the OPCW-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism
             (JIM), to the reported incident in Khan Shaykhun, including the site of the reported
             incident on 4 April, in accordance with resolution 2118 (2013), and requests that the
             FFM report the results of its investigation as soon as possible;
                    3.   Requests that the Secretary-General make the necessary arrangements for
             the JIM to liaise closely with the FFM to expeditiously investigate any incident the
             FFM determines involved or likely involved the use of chemicals as weapons in
             order to identify those involved in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 5 of
             its resolution 2235 (2015);
                   4.   Recalls that in its resolutions 2118 (2013) and 2235 (2015) it decided
             that the Syrian Arab Republic and all parties in Syria shall cooperate fully with the
             OPCW including the FFM and the United Nations including the JIM;
                   5.   Emphasises that this includes the obligation upon the Syrian Arab
             Republic of complying with the relevant recommendations of the OPCW and the
             United Nations, including the FFM and the JIM, by accepting personnel designated
             by the OPCW or the United Nations, by providing for and ensuring the security of
             activities undertaken by these personnel, by providing these personnel with
             immediate and unfettered access to and the right to inspect, in discharging their
             functions, any and all sites, and by allowing immediate and unfettered access to
             individuals whom the OPCW or the United Nations, including the JIM, has grounds
             to believe to be of importance for the purpose of its mandate, and specifically that
             this includes the obligations upon the Syrian Arab Republic to provide the JIM and
             FFM with the following and take the following steps:
                  (a) flight plans, flight logs, and any other information on air operations,
             including all flight plans or flight logs filed on 4 April 2017;
                  (b)   names of all individuals in command of any aircraft;
                  (c) arrange meetings requested including with generals or other offi cers,
             within no more than five days of the date on which such meeting is requested;
                  (d) immediately provide access to relevant air bases from which the JIM or
             the FFM believe attacks involving chemicals as weapons may have been launched;
                  6.   Requests the Secretary-General to report on whether the information and
             access described in paragraph 5 has been provided in his reports to the Security
             Council every 30 days pursuant to paragraph 12 of resolution 2118 (2013);
                 7.   Recalls its decision in response to violations of resolution 2118 to
             impose measures under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations;
                  8.    Decides to remain actively seized of this matter.




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Voting result: 10 yes, 2 no, 3 abstentions
Votes by member:
country: Egypt
vote: Y
country: France
vote: Y
country: Italy
vote: Y
country: Japan
vote: Y
country: Senegal
vote: Y
country: Sweden
vote: Y
country: Ukraine
vote: Y
country: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
vote: Y
country: United States of America
vote: Y
country: Uruguay
vote: Y
country: Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
vote: N
country: Russian Federation
vote: N
country: China
vote: A
country: Ethiopia
vote: A
country: Kazakhstan
vote: A