United Nations Security Council draft resolution S/2019/756
Date: 2019-09-19 (meeting 8623)
Agenda: The situation in the Middle East
Vetoed by: CHINA
RUSSIA/USSR

United Nations
Security Council
Distr.: General
19 September 2019
Original: ENGLISH

Belgium, Germany and Kuwait: draft resolution
The Security Council,
Recalling its resolutions 2042 (2012), 2043 (2012), 2118 (2013), 2139 (2014),
2165 (2014), 2175 (2014), 2191 (2014), 2209 (2015), 2235 (2015), 2249 (2015),
2254 (2015), 2258 (2015), 2268 (2016), 2286 (2016), 2332 (2016), 2336 (2016),
2393 (2017), 2401 (2018) and 2449 (2018), and its Presidential Statements of
3 August 2011 (S/PRST/2011/16), 21 March 2012 (S/PRST/2012/6), 5 April 2012
(S/PRST/2012/10), 2 October 2013 (S/PRST/2013/15), 24 April 2015
(S/PRST/2015/10) and 17 August 2015 (S/PRST/2015/15),

Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and
territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic, and to the purposes and principles of
the Charter of the United Nations,
Reiterating its grave distress at the continued severity of the devastating
humanitarian situation in Syria, and at the fact that urgent humanitarian assistance is
required by 11.7 million people in Syria, of whom 6.2 million are internally displaced,
Reaffirming that there is no military solution to the Syria conflict, expressing
outrage at the unacceptable levels of violence escalating in and around Idlib
Governorate, in particular at the indiscriminate attacks in densely populated areas,
including through an intensified campaign of aerial bombings and the use of barrel
bombs, and heavy shelling, and further expressing its alarm about the risk of a further
deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the event of continued military
escalation in northwest Syria, with an estimated civilian population of three million,
including over one million children, whilst noting that almost half of the civilian
population of Idlib Governorate are internally displaced persons,
Expressing serious concern at the presence of terrorist groups, as designated by
the Security Council, and their activities in Idlib Governorate,
Condemning attacks against civilians, civilian objects and medical facilities,
including those on the deconfliction list and UN-supported facilities in the area,
further compounding suffering and displacing large numbers of people, and recalling
in this regard the legal obligations of all parties under international humanitarian law
and international human rights law, as well as all relevant United Nations Security
Council resolutions, especially to cease all attacks against civilians and civilian
objects, medical facilities, as well as attacks on schools, and stressing the need to end
impunity for violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses
of human rights, and reaffirming that those who have committed or are otherwise
responsible for such violations and abuses in Syria must be brought to justice,
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Reaffirming that Member States must ensure that any measures taken to combat
terrorism comply with all their obligations under international law, in particular
international human rights law, refugee law, and international humanitarian law, while
reaffirming its resolve to address all aspects of the threat posed by the Islamic State
in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as Da'esh), Al Qaeda and Al-Nusra Front
(ANF) and all other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with
Al-Qaeda or ISIL, and other terrorist groups, as designated by the Security Council,

Reiterating its deep concern at the continued lack of humanitarian access in
various parts of Syria, and recalling in this context its resolution 2449 which
demanded that all parties allow safe, unimpeded, and sustained access for United
Nations' and their implementing partners' humanitarian convoys, including medical
and surgical supplies, to all requested areas and populations according to United
Nations' assessments of need in all parts of Syria, and recalling the obligations for all
parties to respect the relevant provisions of international humanitarian law and
recalling the United Nations guiding principles of humanitarian emergency
assistance, emphasizing the importance of upholding the principles of humanity,
impartiality, neutrality, and independence, in the provision of humanitarian assistance
and recalling also the importance of humanitarian deliveries reaching their intended
beneficiaries,

Stressing the importance of de-escalation and respecting ceasefire agreements,
as well as the full implementation of resolutions 2254 (2015), 2268 (2016) and 2401
(2018), as steps towards a comprehensive nation-wide ceasefire, and emphasizing the
need for all parties to respect their commitments to existing ceasefire agreements, and
that the provision of humanitarian assistance is essential for the survival of the
civilian population must be part of these efforts in accordance with international
humanitarian law,

Taking note of the memorandum of understanding agreed between the Russian
Federation and Turkey on 17 September 2018, as communicated in Security Council
document S/2018/852;

Expressing outrage at the insufficient implementation of its resolutions 2139
(2014), 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014), 2254 (2015), 2258 (2015), 2268 (2016), 2332
(2016), 2393 (2017), 2401 (2018), and 2449 (2018), and recalling that resolution 2401
demands that all parties cease hostilities without delay,

Determining that the devastating humanitarian situation in Syria continues to
constitute a threat to peace and security in the region,

Underscoring that Member States are obligated under Article 25 of the Charter
of the United Nations to accept and carry out the Council's decisions,

1. Decides that all parties shall immediately cease hostilities to avoid a
further deterioration of the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Idlib
Governorate, beginning at noon Damascus time on 21 September 2019;

2. Demands that Member States ensure that all measures taken to counter
terrorism, including in Idlib Governorate, comply with their obligations under
international law, including international humanitarian law, international human
rights law, and international refugee law, and stresses that counterterrorism operations
do not absolve parties to armed conflicts of their obligations under international
humanitarian law, including their obligation to distinguish between civilian
populations and combatants, and urges all parties to apply the principles of
distinction, proportionality, and the obligation to take all feasible precautions to avoid
and in any event minimize harm to civilians and civilians objects, and requests the
Secretary-General to provide reports of any violations of international humanitarian
law to the Security Council immediately;

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3. Reiterates its demand, reminding in particular the Syrian authorities, that
all parties immediately comply with their obligations under international law,
including international human rights law, as applicable, and international
humanitarian law, in particular the respect for protection of civilians, including the
immediate halting of any indiscriminate aerial bombardments resulting in civilian
casualties, as well as taking all feasible precautions to avoid, and in any event
minimize, harm to civilians, including children, and civilian objects, as well as the
respect for and protection of all medical personnel and humanitarian personnel
exclusively engaged in medical duties, their means of transport and equipment, as
well as hospitals and other medical facilities;
4. Demands the full and immediate implementation of all provisions of all
relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165
(2014), 2254 (2015), 2258 (2015), 2332 (2016), 2393 (2017), 2401 (2018), 2449
(2018), and recalls that some of the violations and abuses committed in Syria may
amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, and stresses that those who have
committed violations of international humanitarian law and international human
rights law must be held accountable;
5. Calls upon all parties to respect and fulfil their commitments to existing
ceasefire agreements, including the full implementation of resolutions 2254 (2015),
2268 (2016) and 2401 (2018), and furthermore calls upon all Member States to use
their influence with parties to ensure the implementation of a cessation of hostilities,
the fulfilment of existing commitments and to support efforts to create the conditions
for a durable and lasting nation-wide ceasefire and stresses the need for relevant
guarantees from those Member States, including through the implementation of the
memorandum of understanding agreed between the Russian Federation and Turkey
on 17 September 2018;
6. Emphasizing the need for a ceasefire monitoring, verification and
reporting mechanism, requests the Secretary-General to report to the Security Council
on options for such a mechanism that it can support, as soon as possible and no later
than one month after the adoption of this resolution, and encourages Member States,
including members of the Security Council, to provide assistance, including through
expertise and in-kind contributions, to support such a mechanism;
7. Requests the Secretary-General, through his good offices and the efforts
of his Special Envoy for Syria, as outlined in resolution 2254 (2015), to continue to
engage in order to find, without delay, a durable and lasting solution to the situation
in Idlib Governorate, and calls on all relevant Member States, parties to the conflict,
and the international community to support and provide concrete assistance to these
efforts;
8. Reiterates its demand that all parties allow and facilitate, safe, unimpeded
and sustained humanitarian access for the United Nations and its implementing
partners to requested areas and populations in Syria in order to ensure that
humanitarian assistance reaches people through the most direct route in order to meet
basic needs, consistent with the provisions of its resolution 2449 (2018);
9. Demands that all parties facilitate safe and unimpeded passage for medical
personnel and humanitarian personnel exclusively engaged in medical duties, their
equipment, transport and supplies, including surgical items, to all people in need,
consistent with international humanitarian law and reiterates its demand that all
parties demilitarize medical facilities, schools and other civilian facilities and cease
to establish military positions in populated areas and desist from attacks directed
against civilian objects;
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10. Calls upon all parties, in particular the Syrian authorities, to undertake
confidence-building measures, including through the immediate release of any
arbitrarily detained persons, particularly women, children, and the elderly, as well as
the provision of information on missing persons and handover of the bodies of the
deceased to families, as outlined in resolution 2474 (2019);
11. Reiterates that there will be no significant and sustainable improvement
of the humanitarian situation in the absence of a political solution to the Syrian
conflict in line with resolution 2254 (2015) and the Geneva Communique of 30 June
2012, to facilitate a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition, in order to end
the conflict in Syria, and further reiterates its support for the efforts of the Special
Envoy, and stressing again that the Syrian people will decide the future of Syria;
12. Reaffirms that it will take further measures under the Charter of the United
Nations in the event of non-compliance with this resolution;
13. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Security Council on the
implementation of this resolution, and on compliance by all relevant parties in Syria,
within 15 days of the adoption of this resolution and thereafter within the framework
of its reporting on resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014), 2258 (2015),
2332 (2016), 2393 (2017), 2401 (2018), and 2449 (2018);
14. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

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Voting result: 12 yes, 2 no, 1 abstentions
Votes by member:
country: Belgium
vote: Y
country: Côte d’Ivoire
vote: Y
country: Dominican Republic
vote: Y
country: France
vote: Y
country: Germany
vote: Y
country: Indonesia
vote: Y
country: Kuwait
vote: Y
country: Peru
vote: Y
country: Poland
vote: Y
country: South Africa
vote: Y
country: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
vote: Y
country: United States of America
vote: Y
country: China
vote: N
country: Russian Federation
vote: N
country: Equatorial Guinea
vote: A