Alain Juppé speaks of "new step" via UN to halt Syrian tragedy

All of the official statements and declarations can be found here

 Press briefing by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Spokesman (excerpts)

Paris, 9 May 2012

Kofi Annan’s speech at the Security Council yesterday confirmed the urgent need to fully implement his plan, which represents a last chance, to date, to promote a peaceful political transition addressing the aspirations the Syrian people have been expressing for the past 14 months.

Time is short, when the crackdown on the peaceful protest movement initiated in spring 2011 in Syria has killed more than 11,000 people, the Syrian authorities still haven’t withdrawn their troops and heavy weapons from the towns and cities and they continue daily to violate the ceasefire declared on 12 April, without even mentioning the other obligations incumbent on them under the Annan plan, in line with the relevant Security Council resolutions.

Against this background, in accordance with UNSCRs 2042 and 2043, and as the Ministre d’Etat confirmed to the Special Envoy again last week, we’re giving priority to the swift, full deployment of the United Nations Observer Mission to Syria. It is essential for the mission to be able to report to the Security Council on how all the Annan plan provisions are being implemented, or not, by the Syrian authorities in particular.

The French authorities reiterate their complete confidence in the way the Joint Special Envoy is carrying out his mandate. Everything must be done for Kofi Annan’s tough mission to succeed, so that all violence is stopped, humanitarian access is freely and wholly ensured, and a democratic transition is made possible.

Q. – What’s your reaction to the attack on observers in Syria?

We strongly condemn the attack against the convoy led by General Robert Mood, head of the observer mission in Syria.

The security and the integrity of the mission must be scrupulously respected, as stipulated by UNSCRs 2042 and 2043. The Syrian authorities’ primary responsibility is to guarantee this security while ensuring the mission’s full freedom of movement.

We hold the Damascus regime responsible for the safety of the observers./.

 Press briefing by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Spokesman (excerpts)

Paris, 7 May 2012

Q. – How far have you got with your preparations for another meeting of the Friends of Syria group, which is due to take place in Paris? Is it scheduled to take place in the next few days?

The Damascus regime is blatantly violating UNSCRs 2042 and 2043, as demonstrated by the continuation of the crackdown, which has resulted in the death of more than 30 people in recent days.

The priority now is the swift deployment of all the UN observers to Syria and the unimpeded, full implementation of the Annan plan.

The speech that Mr Kofi Annan will deliver to the Security Council tomorrow, Tuesday, 8 May in New York will be crucial for taking stock of the efforts under way. The Security Council will examine the situation as it is observed by the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) and will have to swiftly draw the consequences.

In addition, France denounces the organization by Damascus of a ballot, the conditions of which appear to be a sinister farce. The political transition process established by the Annan plan and the Arab League will enable the Syrian people to regain the ability to freely express their views on their destiny.

With respect to the meeting of the Friends of Syria group, let me remind you that the goal this group has set itself is to facilitate the full implementation of the plan to resolve the crisis, while respecting the inalienable rights of the Syrian people.

The French authorities will consult their partners within this group in order to set the date for the next meeting, depending on developments in the situation in Syria./.

 Press briefing by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Spokesman (excerpts)

Paris, 3 May 2012

France strongly condemns the killing of four students yesterday in Aleppo and all forms of violence perpetrated by the Syrian security forces against students in that city, as well as the many related arrests.

We note once again that Damascus is failing to comply with its commitments and is continuing the crackdown. France again demands the immediate and full implementation of the provisions set out in the six-point plan proposed by the Joint UN and Arab League Special Envoy.

The Syrian regime’s full cooperation with Mr Annan, as well as with the UN observer mission currently being deployed, constitutes an international obligation under UNSCRs 2042 and 2043.

Yesterday, during a telephone conversation, the Ministre d’Etat reaffirmed to Mr Annan France’s full support for his efforts and the urgent need for the full deployment of the observers; nothing must interfere with their freedom of action.

If Damascus continues to flout its commitments, the international community, including the Security Council, will have to act accordingly./.

 Statements by Alain Juppé, Ministre d’Etat, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, at his joint press conference with female representatives of the Syrian opposition (excerpts)

Paris, 25 April 2012

THE MINISTER – Ladies and gentlemen,

I’ve just had a meeting with several representatives of Syrian civil society – women resistance fighters from different communities in Syria – and I’d like to thank them for agreeing to meet me. I wanted above all to listen to them, so that they could share with me what they’ve witnessed, what they know about the Syrian street and the current situation in that country. I’d like to pay tribute to their courage and that of the Syrian people as a whole, who are continuing to fight a regime that is conducting as brutal and bloody a crackdown as ever.

I explained what France has been trying to do for several months to stop this tragedy – so far, sadly, without success – and I took good note of their expectations. I told them we’re ready to continue supporting them, particularly to enable the Syrian opposition to coordinate and organize itself and convey its messages.

What stage are we at today?

Just before the meeting, I had an opportunity to talk to Mr Kofi Annan. We believe the situation on the ground is unacceptable. The Damascus regime isn’t respecting the commitments it made. The crackdown is continuing, and the women I spoke to confirmed to me that the number of deaths is constantly rising and that the few observers deployed on the ground can’t fulfil their mission.

According to certain reports, which we haven’t totally verified, there are even cases where activists who met the United Nations observers have then been executed by the regime. So the situation is extremely worrying. This can’t go on indefinitely. That’s why I told Kofi Annan that we’d like, we ask, we demand that observers in sufficient numbers – at least 300 –provided with the necessary equipment, with freedom to come and go wherever they wish on Syrian territory, be deployed very quickly, within the next fortnight.

A fortnight after UNSCR 2043 came into force, Kofi Annan is due to present a report to the Security Council; I think it will be on 5 May; for us, that moment will be the moment of truth. Either this mediation works or it doesn’t work. And if it doesn’t work, we can’t let the regime in place – which isn’t respecting any of the six commitments it made under Kofi Annan’s plan – carry on defying us.

So we must then move to another stage – which we’ve already started discussing with our partners – under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, to take a new step towards halting this tragedy which is still being perpetuated in Syria.

I assured the women I spoke to of France’s support and our wish to continue working with them to show them our solidarity. I’m also thinking about the humanitarian dimension of aid, which is absolutely necessary. Several months ago I floated the idea of humanitarian corridors; I see it’s been picked up here and there without materializing. We’re going to continue working on it, possibly in the framework of this new resolution I mentioned just now. We’re well aware that, as things stand, a resolution under Chapter VII would come up against a veto from one or another permanent member of the Security Council, but that’s a further reason to continue doing our work of explaining and consulting with our partners.

Q. – The Syrians have given themselves a right of veto on the nationality of any observers who would be deployed in Syria. Was that planned? What are your comments on it? On the same point, is France going to offer to send some of the observers? Finally, can we regard the Annan plan as already dead? Thank you.

THE MINISTER – On this point, my answer will be no. It’s been seriously compromised; things aren’t going well; I’ve just said so. Damascus isn’t respecting the commitments it made on the six-point Annan plan, including the first of them, namely an effective ceasefire. We think this mediation should still be given a chance, on condition, I repeat, that an adequate observer force is deployed quickly. And I’ll say this to Mr Ban Ki-moon, to whom I hope to speak by phone in the coming hours: that the United Nations Secretary-General should be in a position to deploy a sufficient number of observers, not in three months’ time but within a fortnight. UNSCR 2043 mentions the figure of 300, who must have the necessary equipment and the ability to come and go with complete freedom, without being prisoners of the current regime. So we’re still giving negotiation a chance.

As regards the Syrian government refusing observers from particular countries, it’s obviously unacceptable. The contingents that will go to Syria aren’t national ones, they’re blue helmets, i.e. observers under the United Nations’ responsibility. It isn’t a matter of the Syrian regime choosing among the options the United Nations makes available. As far as France is concerned, she will respond to what the Secretary-General asks. That’s what I can tell you on that side of things, and if it becomes clear, by the deadline I mentioned, that the mission is a fiasco, we’ll have to act accordingly and I’ve indicated the possible ways forward that we’re working on.

Q. – You talked about the possibility of a resolution under Chapter VII – the conditions are a bit more favourable. Would Russia be more willing to vote for it?

THE MINISTER – Russia agreed to the resolution which serves as a basis for Kofi Annan’s mission; she agreed to an observer mission being set up; I’ve expressed my thoughts on this mission; I’ve said there’s still an opportunity to check whether it can operate. I hope our Russian partners will, like us, take stock of this observer mission; they can’t fail to note that it’s the regime which is blocking the implementation of Kofi Annan’s plan, and so we’re going to continue discussions with our Russian partners, in the hope that their position will evolve in the light of what’s happening on the ground, which is, I believe, today quite indisputable.

People can’t go on saying that the regime is the victim of terrorist attacks and is defending itself against terrorist attacks – it flies in the face of the facts and common sense. It’s the regime which is cracking down on movements which are trying to defend themselves however they can.

Q. – Are there really military officials from the Syrian opposition in Paris – can you confirm this? And there have been reports today of a Syrian transitional government set up in Paris; is this correct?

THE MINISTER – I haven’t got any information allowing me to answer your question. (…)./.

 Syria/adoption of UNSCR 2043 – Statement by Alain Juppé, Ministre d’Etat, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs

Paris, 21 April 2012

This unanimous vote from the Security Council sends a strong message to Syria. I’m pleased we’ve been able to work closely with all the Security Council members, particularly Russia, and that we’ve been able to get this UNSCR 2043, which is going to allow several hundred observers to be deployed on the ground. My hope is that this robust mission, which all those taking part in the Paris meeting on Thursday were insistently calling for, enables us to change the situation and halt the savage crackdown the Syrian people have been suffering for over a year. In this respect, I stress that the mission will also have to ensure that the Syrian regime fully respects freedom of assembly, which is an obligation and contained in the Annan plan.

I appreciate the risks the international community is taking with this decision, but, given the tragedy of the Syrian people, we are duty-bound to do everything to give a peaceful solution a chance.

The UN observers must now be deployed swiftly and without hindrance.

The Syrian authorities have an obligation to ensure total freedom of movement for the mission, which must have all the necessary means to accomplish its mandate. We’ll judge by actions: the United Nations Secretary-General must report to the Security Council any violation of the provisions of this resolution. If we see once again that the Syrian regime isn’t fulfilling its obligations, the Security Council will have to examine all conceivable options as soon as possible. The decision on deployment was taken unanimously by the Security Council. We’ll also have to exert pressure unanimously for it to be implemented fully. Finally, we’ll have to note any violations unanimously, if the need arises, and take on board all the consequences.

As all the ministers who met in Paris on Thursday emphasized, it’s a matter of urgency. France will continue spearheading the international community’s efforts to end the crackdown being unleashed against the Syrian people and enable them to build freely the democratic Syria of tomorrow./.

 Meeting of the international working group on sanctions against the Syrian regime – Co-chairs’ conclusions¹

Paris, 17 April 2012

1. The international working group on sanctions held its first meeting in Paris on 17 April 2012 in the wake of the decisions taken in Istanbul on 1 April during the conference of the Group of Friends of the Syrian People and in Tunis on 24 February. This first meeting was inaugurated by the Ministre d’Etat, Alain Juppé and co-chaired by France, Morocco and the EEAS.

2. Reaffirming its support to the Arab League’s plan, the international working group on sanctions underlines the need to exert efficient pressure on the Syrian regime to fully comply with its obligations in accordance with the joint UN and Arab League Envoy Annan plan as well as engage in a political transition that meets the democratic aspirations of the Syrian People.

3. The international working group on sanctions reiterates the decisions taken in Tunis by the Group of Friends of the Syrian People to undertake restrictive measures against the Syrian regime including:

i. travel bans and freezing of assets of persons associated to the repression in Syria

ii. ban on hydrocarbon imports from Syria

iii. ban on investments in infrastructures in Syria

iv. arms and military equipments embargo for the Syrian regime

v. reduction of diplomatic ties with the Syrian regime

vi. explore measures to limit exports of products used for military purposes.

4. Sanctions are not targeting the civilian population of Syria but aim at increasing pressure on the persons and institutions responsible for the repression and to deprive the regime of the resources it uses for repression. The current economic hardship affecting Syria is caused by the regime’s numerous destructions and its repressive practices which have isolated it and have discouraged economic activity in this country.

5. The international working group on sanctions welcomes the sanctions adopted by the EU, the Arab League, the United States of America, Turkey, Norway, Switzerland, Monaco, Croatia, Iceland, Canada, Australia and Japan, and calls upon all states of the group of Friends of the Syrian People and all states that have not yet exerted the necessary pressure to join these efforts and further isolate the Syrian regime. It expresses its firm disapproval of any financial and other support to the Syrian regime and in particular ongoing arms sales.

6. The objective of the international working group on sanctions is to share information on the measures that have been adopted in order to strengthen their efficiency, to explore means for a more effective implementation, to overcome implementation difficulties and to suggest additional measures to be adopted on a voluntary basis. A network of contact points has been set up in this regard. The group highlights the importance of restrictive measures concerning the banking sector and oil sales.

7. The international working group on sanctions calls upon businessmen who support financially or by any other means the bloody repression to break all their ties with the al-Assad regime. It asks all Syrians and civil society organizations to publicly dissociate themselves from the human rights violations committed by the Syrian regime that may amount to crimes against humanity. Any person targeted by sanctions who will demonstrate his/her opposition to the bloody repression could be considered for delisting.

8. Once the democratic transition is started, the international working group on sanctions is committed to bring about a swift review of the sanctions regimes in place in order to support the reconstruction of the future Syria in coordination with the working group on economic recovery and reconstruction co-chaired by Germany and the UAE.

9. The international working group on sanctions group will hold its next meeting next month in Washington DC./.

¹ Source of English text: French Foreign Ministry website.

 Meeting of the international working group on sanctions against the Syrian regime

(Paris, 17 April 2012)

As the Ministre d’Etat announced on 1 April at the Istanbul conference, the first meeting of the working group on sanctions against the Syrian regime will take place in Paris on the afternoon of 17 April.

All states belonging to the Friends of Syria group which pledged to apply sanctions against the Syrian regime are invited to this meeting. Around 50 countries should be represented.

It will be co-chaired by France, Morocco, and the European External Action Service (EEAS). The Ministre d’Etat, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, M. Alain Juppé, will open the working group session.

The sanctions adopted against the Syrian regime are an effective instrument and require the broadest possible mobilization of the international community. Several sanctions regimes are currently in force, notably those of the European Union, the Arab League and the United States. The goal of this first meeting will therefore be to examine ways of implementing these sanctions regimes in the most effective way possible and work towards ensuring their coordination and universalization.

While the regime has continued to actively crack down on the opposition, including through bomb attacks this weekend, strong pressure must continue to be exerted on the Syrian regime in order to ensure that it complies with its obligations in accordance with the Annan plan and puts an end to the crackdown, so that a democratic transition can get under way./.

 Syria/adoption of UNSCR 2042 at the United Nations Security Council – Statement by Alain Juppé, Ministre d’Etat, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs

Paris, 14 April 2012

France welcomes the adoption of UNSCR 2042. We hope it will be a turning-point in overcoming the crisis in Syria and will pave the way to a total cessation of the violence.

The resolution adopted unanimously today makes it possible to deploy in Syria, in the coming hours, an initial United Nations team in charge of assessing whether the violence has in fact ceased and testing the seriousness of the Syrian commitments. The aim put forward by France is to achieve the rapid deployment of a robust UN team in charge of verifying the Annan plan’s implementation: through this resolution, the Security Council is embracing this aim.

The Security Council has endorsed the action plan defined by Mr Annan, which aims to facilitate Syria’s political transition to a democratic system in order finally to address the aspirations bravely expressed by the Syrian people. Today we are seeking to create on the ground the conditions for this political process, by bringing about an end to the violence and restoring to the Syrian people the hope that a peaceful political solution is possible. France reiterates her support for the United Nations Secretary-General and the Joint Special Envoy, Mr Kofi Annan, whose task is as difficult as it is essential. On the basis of their efforts, and with the full support of the Arab League, we have achieved unity of action.

It is now up to the Syrian authorities to fulfil their commitments, particularly by withdrawing their troops and heavy weaponry from towns and cities, as Kofi Annan called for. In this regard, the attacks suffered today by the civilian population of Homs confirm any existing doubts about whether the Syrian regime is truly committed. We shall know very soon whether Syria is implementing her commitments. If not, it will be the responsibility of all the Security Council members to consider what measures should be taken. We shall judge the Syrian regime on its actions and nothing else.

France will not allow the Syrian people to continue undergoing a savage crackdown. In this regard, the freedom to demonstrate (a right recalled in the Annan plan) must be respected by the Damascus regime without any restrictions./.

 Videoconference between Presidents Obama and Sarkozy - Communiqué issued by the Presidency of the Republic

Paris, 12 April 2012

President Sarkozy and the President of the United States held a videoconference this afternoon to coordinate their approaches to several subjects of strategic importance.

On Syria, the two presidents urged the Syrian regime to respect scrupulously and unconditionally its commitments under the United Nations and Arab League Special Envoy’s plan. The regime will be judged on its actions. In liaison with their – particularly Arab – partners, they agreed to step up their efforts, including at the Security Council, to bring about a definitive end to the brutal crackdown against the Syrian people, ensure emergency humanitarian assistance is provided to them, and ensure they can freely choose their destiny. Those responsible for the acts of violence will have to answer for their crimes.

As regards Iran, the two presidents made it clear that they were determined to apply the sanctions with the utmost firmness as long as Tehran refuses to comply with its international obligations, particularly the Security Council resolutions relating to its military nuclear programme. They called on Iran to seize the opportunity presented by the resumption of dialogue with the Six in order to commit to a serious negotiation and suspend all her sensitive nuclear activities./.

 Meeting of G8 foreign ministers – Press briefing given by Alain Juppé, Ministre d’Etat, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs (excerpts)

Paris, 12 April 2012

(…)

THE MINISTER – Mr Kofi Annan, Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General and the Arab League, presented a six-point plan. The Damascus regime and the opposition accepted the plan in principle. I note that, to date, the regime has not fulfilled its commitments. (…) Incidents have occurred at the Turkish border. Just now you heard a point about the spectacular increase in the number of refugees trying to cross the border. In short, the situation is constantly deteriorating, and the date set for the ceasefire, 10 April, has not been respected. (…)

Tomorrow we’re going to see what Kofi Annan says to the Security Council. What France would like – if Kofi Annan believes he’s in a position to continue his mission – is for the Security Council to be able to adopt, as soon as possible, a resolution enabling the dispatch of a robust observer mission that can have freedom of movement, without depending on the Damascus regime, to check whether the commitments made by the parties – essentially the regime, because it is primarily responsible for the crackdown – are actually being honoured. That’s the stage we’re at, and tomorrow will be absolutely decisive from that point of view.

Q. – And what if Damascus doesn’t start implementing the plan of…

THE MINISTER – That’s the other possibility. If Kofi Annan believes he’s no longer in a position to continue his mission, France thinks the Security Council will have to consider other measures. Always in the “optimistic” event of Kofi Annan telling us things are making progress, I repeat: this observation mechanism on the ground seems to us essential. Following a meeting with Sergei Lavrov, I note that we agree on this point, which is in itself very positive.

Q. – Does that mean there’s more chance of a resolution being adopted by the Security Council than a while ago?

THE MINISTER – A resolution establishing the monitoring mechanism for Kofi Annan’s plan and addressing the humanitarian issue should be able to be adopted very quickly. The United Nations would then have to be able to send a mission to Syria within a very short time. (…)

Q. – Were you able to have a private meeting with Sergei Lavrov?

THE MINISTER – Yes. I had a meeting with him, mainly on Syria. France believes that you can’t put on the same level a regime with its policy of repression, [a regime] which has been totally stubborn in refusing reforms, and the resistance of people who are trying to defend themselves. We mustn’t forget that if the regime had agreed to take on board its people’s aspirations for freedom and reforms, we wouldn’t be at this point. Let me also remind you that the demonstrations in Syria began peacefully. Today, the Syrian opposition is acting in self-defence.

I don’t for one moment believe these terrorist attacks we’re being told about; we have a different assessment of that. On the other hand, we agree on supporting Kofi Annan’s mission. We support his six-point plan, which also includes a political process with free elections allowing the Syrian people to choose their destiny. And we also agree that if the ceasefire is indeed respected, we’ll have to be able to verify it on the ground by sending a United Nations mission. Perhaps we’ll see an opportunity or a window open up. (…)./.

 Excerpts from the press briefing by the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry Spokesman

Paris, 11 April 2012

Q. – The UN and Arab League Special Envoy, Kofi Annan, stated on Wednesday in Tehran that “any further militarization of the conflict in Syria would be disastrous”. He also expressed his optimism for a marked improvement in the situation on the ground by Thursday morning, the date set by the UN Security Council for an end to the fighting between the government forces and the opposition. Does France share this optimism?

The Ministre d’Etat made a statement yesterday to reaffirm our trust in and our full support for the Joint Special Envoy, Mr Kofi Annan, and to note that his letter to the Security Council yesterday showed that the Syrian regime had not upheld its commitment to stop firing with heavy weapons against the people and to withdraw its security forces from urban centres by 10 April.

In light of Mr Annan’s initial report yesterday, M. Alain Juppé will express, during the G8 foreign ministers’ meeting in Washington, our concerns regarding the attitude of the Syrian regime, which is still continuing to repress its people, flout its commitments to the international community and endanger regional security.

With a view to the 12 April deadline, M. Juppé will discuss with the G8 foreign ministers all options available to the international community in order to persuade the Damascus regime to put an end to the Syrian people’s nightmare.

The Ministre d’Etat will speak to the press today in Washington./.

 Syria – Statement by Alain Juppé, Ministre d’Etat, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs

Paris, 10 April 2012

Today is the day that Kofi Annan was to say whether or not Damascus had immediately implemented the measures it had promised: to cease troop movements toward cities, end the use of heavy weapons against civilians, and begin the withdrawal of security forces from urban centres.

The letter that the Special Envoy sent to the Security Council today demonstrates and confirms the extent to which Damascus is flouting its commitments and is adopting a confrontational stance towards its people and the international community.

The facts presented by the Special Envoy are unambiguous. Not only has the use of heavy weapons not ended, not only have releases of political prisoners been minimal compared with the scale of the crackdown, not only is Damascus now attacking its neighbours, but what is being presented as a withdrawal is in fact only a thinly disguised redeployment.

In these circumstances, the international community now notes that Damascus has not complied with its obligations of 10 April. Bashar al-Assad has lied to Kofi Annan, who enjoys the international community’s full support. I regret it all the more because the opposition was prepared to do its part, provided that Damascus respected its prior commitments.

At tomorrow’s G8 meeting, I will emphasize the gravity of the situation in which we find ourselves. During our working meetings, I will insist on the need for the Security Council to take on board all the consequences of this situation and study the new measures needed to secure an end to the violence and a political process./.

 Excerpt from the press briefing given by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Spokesman

Paris, 2 April 2012

(…)

Friends of the Syrian People conference (Istanbul, 1 April)

The Ministre d’Etat represented France at the second Friends of the Syrian People conference in Istanbul on Sunday, 1 April.

This conference helped broaden the international consensus on ending the crackdown in Syria. It illustrated the steadily growing isolation of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

The Istanbul conference reiterated the international community’s condemnation of the atrocities committed by the Syrian regime, which go as far as crimes against humanity.

While reiterating their support for the Arab League initiative and Kofi Annan’s mission, the Friends of the Syrian People stressed that it was important to set a deadline for Bashar al-Assad to implement the six-point plan. They agreed that, should the plan fail, this issue must once again be brought before the Security Council.

To increase international pressure on Damascus, France will host a meeting of the working group on sanctions in the next two weeks. The Istanbul conference gave new impetus to the process of international support for the Syrian opposition, all of whose components will have to rally around the Syrian National Council. The national pact adopted by the opposition and presented by the SNC was welcomed by the Friends of the Syrian People, which urged all forces fighting for democracy in Syria to align themselves with the SNC.

Finally, in view of the deterioration of the humanitarian situation, the Friends of the Syrian People reaffirmed their support for the UN to coordinate aid to the Syrian people.

The next conference of the Friends of the Syrian People will be held in Paris.

Syria – Situation of the journalist Ali Othman

According to some very troubling reports, the journalist Ali Othman has been arrested, his state of health is worrying and his life is in danger.

France condemns this arrest in the strongest possible terms and calls for Mr Othman’s immediate release.

The Syrian authorities must respect the freedom of the press and the right of journalists to freely exercise their profession.

This arrest demonstrates yet again that the Syrian regime does not respect its commitments. Kofi Annan’s plan, which the Damascus regime claims it has accepted, provides for free, secure access to Syrian territory by the press and international media.

(…) ./.

 Excerpts from the press briefing given by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Spokesman

Paris, 30 March 2012

(…)

Syria

M. Alain Juppé has just spoken on the telephone to Mr Kofi Annan, the Joint UN and Arab League Special Envoy for Syria. He supported Mr Annan’s demand for the urgent implementation of emergency measures to enforce his plan, in particular – at a time when the regime is attacking its people – the withdrawal of the army and heavy weapons from the cities and an end to the crackdown.

Furthermore, I underline that France fully supports the Arab League’s efforts to find a solution to the crisis so that the Syrians who are sacrificing themselves for democracy will finally be able to freely determine their destiny.

The Syrian crisis dominated the debates at the Arab League summit that has just taken place in Baghdad.

The Arab League has been adopting a courageous position since November and proposed a political plan to resolve the crisis which was supported by nearly all UNGA member states. The final resolution adopted unanimously at the Baghdad summit is fully in line with this process and is notably based on the Arab League plan of 22 January. It explicitly supports the mission of the Joint UN and Arab League Special Envoy for Syria, Mr Kofi Annan, whose mandate and proposals are based on the Arab League’s plan, in order to put an end to the violence and initiate a democratic transition in Syria (…)./.

 Continuation of the crackdown in Syria – Excerpt from the press briefing given by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Spokesman

Paris, 29 March 2012

A day after the Damascus regime’s purported acceptance of Mr Kofi Annan’s plan, we note that the crackdown caused several dozen more deaths yesterday alone and that the regime is continuing to use heavy weapons against its people.

The international community won’t accept pretence.

France demands that the regime uphold its commitments and put an end to the massacres.

The Arab League is meeting today in Baghdad and the discussions are focusing on the Syrian crisis. The Arab League has been adopting courageous positions since November 2011 and has proposed a political plan to resolve the crisis which was supported by nearly all member states of the United Nations.

Thanks to the joint efforts of the UN and the Arab League, the Special Envoy for Syria, Mr Kofi Annan, has made proposals based on the Arab League plan aimed at putting an end to the violence and initiating a democratic transition in Syria.

France supports the Arab League’s efforts to find a solution to the crisis so that the Syrians who are sacrificing themselves for democracy will finally be able freely to determine their destiny./.

 Syria/Human Rights Council resolution – Statement by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Spokesman

Paris, 23 March 2012

After an initial resolution adopted as an emergency measure at the beginning of its session, the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva voiced its opinion for the second time, condemning the Damascus authorities for their policy of imposing a massive crackdown against the Syrian people and for the crimes against humanity being committed, demanding the cessation of violence and humanitarian access, and demanding the start of national political dialogue. The Council also decided to extend the mandate of the commission of inquiry on Syria, in light of the seriousness of the situation on the ground.

Following the Security Council’s presidential statement of March 21, this resolution, adopted by the Human Rights Council by an even stronger majority, represents another clear message from the United Nations to the Syrian regime, whose almost total international isolation is clear.

While the violence continues, the Damascus authorities must heed this message and immediately implement the international community’s demands, and notably the 6-point plan proposed by M. Kofi Annan, Joint UN and Arab League Special Envoy./.

 Syria/United Nations Security Council statement – Statement by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Spokesman

Paris, 21 March 2012

France welcomes the Security Council’s unanimous support for the mission of the Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and Arab League.

The Syrian authorities must finally respond to the international community’s demands and cooperate with Mr Kofi Annan. In particular, they must immediately and completely halt the violence and the crackdown, allow humanitarian assistance to reach all of the people in need, and engage in an inclusive dialogue with a view to a lasting political solution.

It is essential for the legitimate aspirations that have been expressed for more than a year to be addressed and a transition implemented in order to establish a free and democratic Syria that respects the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all its citizens and guarantees the rights of persons belonging to minorities.

Through this statement, the UN Security Council is starting to assume its responsibilities after months of being blocked.

France, who is firmly committed alongside the Arab League and the Special Envoy, is determined to continue doing everything possible to bring an end to the Syrian tragedy./.

  Remarks to the press by Mr Gérard Araud, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations

New York, 19 March 2012

We circulated today the draft of a UNSC presidential statement. It’s the least controversial text that we could utter and I do hope it will be adopted tomorrow.

Q. - Why wasn’t it adopted today ?

It’s such a sensitive topic that countries need instructions from their capitals. So we’ll have the first meeting at expert level only tomorrow morning. Considering the time difference, they will get their instructions only tomorrow.

Q. - Did Annan request this support ?

Yes, Kofi Annan asks for the support of the Council. We were in touch with him, and he wanted to show that all the Council was behind him. And that’s the point of this text. Only to bring support to Koki Annan. It’s not the situation in Syria, which would be another topic.

Q. - Why not a resolution ?

A presidential statement is easier to negotiate. If you enter in the negotiation of a resolution, it’s difficult not to have a lot of elements coming in and we would fall back into the same blocage we were facing. For us, it appeared easier to have a presidential statement, because we have to do it quickly. A resolution requires one or two weeks of negotiation and it would be meaningless since Kofi Annan asked for the UNSC support on Friday.

Q. - Do you think Kofi Annan needs the support of the UNSC ?

Kofi Annan was asking for the support of the UNSC, so it means that he thinks that he needs our support./.

 Interview given by Alain Juppé, Ministre d’Etat, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, to the newspaper Le Monde

Paris, 17 March 2012

Q. – The American senator John McCain recently asked, “how many more will die in Syria, 10,000 more, 20,000 more”, before we finally act? What do you think?

THE MINISTER – Of course, it’s a nightmare. The regime has gone mad. We support Kofi Annan in implementing his mandate, but we won’t be duped by Syria’s manoeuvring. The Damascus regime has blindly launched itself headlong into a bloody spiral of violence. I still think there are no military options for the moment. There’s no question of our entering into such an operation without a United Nations mandate, and the conditions for such a mandate don’t exist. So what other kind of Security Council intervention can we envisage? I think I noticed a slight development in Sergei Lavrov’s language. But for the moment, this hasn’t led Russia to really change her stance and agree to a resolution that would give us the legal basis for a UN intervention.

Let me add that, in objective terms, the situation is rather different from the one we experienced in Libya. There are opposition members whose attitude seriously weakens the opposition, insofar as they’re continuing to splinter and clash, both inside and outside Syria. We’re doing everything to try to rally them together around the Syrian National Council (SNC) and to persuade them to be more inclusive and take in Alawites and Christians. They’re not doing this enough.

Q. – Can we contemplate what the Russians are suggesting, namely giving up the demand for a transfer of power in Syria in order to secure an end to the violence?

THE MINISTER – The Arab League plan doesn’t envisage Bashar al-Assad standing down, but rather being sidelined and, more specifically, his vice-president being appointed to negotiate and undertake the transition. That’s really the minimum. I admit there’s a real dilemma. Can we block a resolution that would be only a humanitarian resolution, with no political dimension, and risk allowing the massacres to continue? Or should we agree to this far from ideal compromise and risk perpetuating the regime? It’s extremely difficult. That’s why there was strong pressure at the UN on Monday to move in this direction – from Ban Ki-moon, the British and the Americans.

Q. – You’re implying that France has refused to make do with any sort of half-measures.

THE MINISTER – I have two red lines. I can’t agree to the oppressors and the victims being put on the same level. So the initiative of a cessation of hostilities must come from the regime. Secondly, we can’t make do with a humanitarian ceasefire declaration: we must absolutely make a reference to a political settlement process based on the Arab League proposal.

Q. – Have we underestimated the Syrian regime’s endurance?

THE MINISTER – Undoubtedly. We thought there would be more defections, sooner. That [belief] is beginning to crumble. We must realize this regime will stop at no kind of barbarism. Ambassadors’ or generals’ families are quite simply held hostage. They’re threatened with reprisals if they ever defect. We may have misjudged this regime’s ferocity. And even Assad’s personality.

Q. – Is France in favour of weapons being supplied – by anyone – to the opposition?

THE MINISTER – No. Unfortunately, this reminds me of a debate we had another time about the former Yugoslavia. Should we maintain the arms embargo and risk penalizing the Bosnians as against the Serbs? We chose to say, let’s not facilitate a military escalation and therefore let’s not supply any weapons. Here we’re in rather the same scenario: to supply weapons means plunging Syria into a civil war that could be appalling, because we can clearly see the determination of each of the communities.

It breaks my heart to see the Christian hierarchy – Catholic and Orthodox – continuing to link its fate to Bashar al-Assad. We understand the Christians’ fears, but their future will be better in a democratic Syria.

Q. – With Syria, are we looking at the limits of the interventionist policy conducted elsewhere?

THE MINISTER – To a certain extent, because of the blocking imposed by two permanent members of the Security Council. But we’re going to persist. In Côte d’Ivoire and Libya it worked. Whatever you say about the situation in Libya today, I’m proud of what we did. It was necessary – otherwise Gaddafi would have massacred the people of Benghazi and would still be oppressing people. There are circumstances in which the Security Council is effective, as in Timor, where a war was stopped./.

 Excerpts from the interview given by Alain Juppé, Ministre d’Etat, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, to France-Culture

Paris, 15 March 2012

(…)

SYRIA/ARAB LEAGUE PLAN

Q. – You said that a regime which oppresses and massacres its people, as in Syria, can’t last long. So, from what you say, this regime is going to fall. What are we going to do afterwards? Won’t civil war be unavoidable?

THE MINISTER – I don’t think so. The Arab League has got involved and proposed a plan; this was a milestone in the conflict. These are Syria’s neighbours, who are the main people affected. The Arab League is asking – and this is true enough when you read its plan properly – not for Bashar al-Assad’s departure but for power to be transferred to his vice-president to form an inclusive government in which the opposition could be represented; and then for an electoral process to be prepared with free elections.

This is the plan to resolve the crisis; likewise the Egyptians – again, with difficulty – are trying to carry one through successfully; the Tunisians have done so. In Tunisia a constituent assembly has been elected – and things are progressing – and the Libyans are preparing to do this.

That’s the way out.

Q. – Meaning that the Assad regime is going to fall but not completely, otherwise we’d be in unknown territory…

THE MINISTER – No, I’m saying that the goal is to give Syrians the chance to express themselves freely. This must be done through elections which are free – as they were, on the whole, in Egypt and Tunisia, and as they will be, I hope, in Libya.

Q. – Does this entail what’s being called a “Yemen solution”: exfiltrate Bashar al-Assad, promising to spare his life and give him immunity somewhere in the world?

THE MINISTER – That’s for the Syrians to decide, when the time comes, in the framework of the settlement plan we’re supporting.

Q. – You said the Syria problem was preventing you from sleeping?

THE MINISTER – Of course it’s extraordinarily frustrating. Of course I’d like to find a solution to stop this massacre. I told the Human Rights Council in Geneva that we would gather information to convince the international community to refer the matter to the International Criminal Court, because war crimes have been committed. I had a meeting with Ms Amos, Under Secretary-General of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. She went to Homs and said she was horrified by what she saw. War crimes are being committed and, from my point of view, they’ll have to be punished; it’s the International Criminal Court’s job to do this./.

 Syria – Message from Alain Juppé, Ministre d’Etat, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, to the Syrian people

Paris, 15 March 2012

A year ago to the day, Syrian citizens gathered at the al-Hariqa souk in Damascus to demand freedom and democracy. The regime responded immediately with violence and with the crackdown.

Daraa, Hama, Homs, Douma, Zabadani, Idlib: these names, and those of many other devastated cities and villages, have now become symbols of the suffering of the Syrian people.

The Syrian people are proving to the world, with admirable courage and determination, that aspirations for dignity and freedom are stronger than oppression.

And yet, a year later, this legitimate fight is far from over. Every day, dozens of men, women and children are murdered. The leaders of the regime must be held accountable for this crime against humanity.

This appalling violence is a sign of weakness. Bashar al-Assad’s regime has lost all legitimacy. He’s trying to ignite inter-faith conflicts and provoke a spiral of violence and an upsurge in extremist movements, which he hopes to exploit to maintain his hold on power. He is a threat to everyone and to peace in the region.

France is mobilized, at the forefront of the nations that are friends of the Syrian people. She has helped to weaken the regime by supporting the implementation of sanctions by the European Union. She actively contributed to the creation of the Friends of the Syrian People group in Tunis on 24 February.

She has argued in favour of the Syrian people in all international forums, whether at the United Nations General Assembly, the Human Rights Council or the Security Council, where, thus far, we’ve been held back by the Russian and Chinese vetoes.

She was the first country to lend support to the Syrian National Council, which is working to bring together around it all the richly varied strands of Syrian society. I welcome the presence this evening of several of its key leaders.

The French people, who know the price of freedom, stand alongside the Syrian people on this first anniversary of the revolution in Syria. They support them and admire them. They share their cause. And they are certain that freedom will prevail./.

 Arab Spring/United Nations Security Council – Press briefing given by Alain Juppé, Ministre d’Etat, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, to French-speaking journalists (excerpts)

New York, 12 March 2012

(…)

Syria

Q. – You talk about a three-point plan. It provides for a political transition, but the opposition is divided. How do you intend going about things?

THE MINISTER – It isn’t a three-point plan; there are three elements we’d like to see in any Security Council resolution. We’d like to help the opposition get organized and come together. We’ve already recognized the Syrian National Council as a legitimate interlocutor. It’s also up to the opposition to come to a decision. If it doesn’t unite, it won’t achieve its objectives. It’s a hard-and-fast rule when you’re in such a historic situation. If you can’t overcome divisions and create genuine unity in adversity, you can’t hope to win. I’m appealing to the opposition to come together and be as inclusive as possible. Progress has been made: representatives of the Alawite and Christian communities have been included in the Syrian National Council. Progress is still to be made. We can’t solve every problem on people’s behalf. It’s first of all up to the Syrians themselves and the Syrian opposition to know whether it’s able to federate or not. (…)

Q. – One gets the impression that a rift is emerging within the Western camp. Meanwhile, the Russians are negotiating directly with the Arab League… Are cracks appearing in the [united] front?

THE MINISTER – I don’t think so, and I noted this morning that Hillary Clinton, William Hague, Guido Westerwelle, Paulo Portas and I shared similar views. That said, France’s position is, admittedly, especially clear.

Q. – You’ve just had lunch with Russian minister Sergei Lavrov. Do you have reasons to be hopeful?

THE MINISTER – Here in New York, we’ve got to be optimistic in these circumstances. I want to have reasons to be hopeful, but I’m really having to work at it. I think that what’s clear is that Mr Lavrov – and he said so this morning – recognizes that the regime bears heavy responsibility for the way this tragedy has developed. I believe he talked about “huge responsibility”. What’s also clear is that his meeting with the Arab League has led him to talk about a political solution supported by the United Nations Secretary-General’s special envoy, in the framework of what the Arab League and the United Nations [General] Assembly proposed. Is this an opening? We’ll see how things materialize when a resolution has to be finalized. There’s perhaps some slight movement. (…)

Q. – What is currently blocking an agreement, blocking action from the Security Council on Syria?

THE MINISTER – Two things. We still have disagreement on two points; this may diminish but it hasn’t yet done so completely.

The first point is that the French government can’t accept a regime that took the initiative of this savage crackdown being put on exactly the same level as the opposition. Let’s not forget that at the outset, there were peaceful demonstrations for freedom and democracy to which the regime responded only by force. Today there are people fighting, it’s true – some of them with weapons – quite simply because they’re protecting themselves. We’re very keen to ensure that, in the draft resolution, there’s first of all a move by the Syrian authorities to suspend the violence, and immediately afterwards, of course, the cessation of all violence on Syrian territory.

The second thing is extremely important: namely, that we can’t make do with a ceasefire and access to humanitarian aid. Those are absolutely crucial and urgent, but we must also start a political process – otherwise the great surge of public aspiration to freedom and democracy will be ignored and defied, and we couldn’t accept that.

Those are the two points on which we must make further progress in order to finalize a Security Council resolution. I think it would be reasonable to wait for Kofi Annan to make an initial progress report on the mission entrusted to him before going further. (…)

Q. – It was the umpteenth meeting on Syria at the Security Council; in the final analysis, hasn’t the Security Council proven its irrelevance on Syria?

THE MINISTER – I’ve already had the opportunity to say that the Security Council’s silence is something of an outrage and a moral stain on the United Nations. That’s no reason to give up. So let’s carry on. (…).

 Security Council/challenges and opportunities for international peace and security presented by the changes in the Arab world – Speech by Alain Juppé, Ministre d’Etat, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs (excerpts)

New York, 12 March 2012

(...)

Our Council is now faced with a tragedy: the Syrian tragedy.

Over the past year, since the first major peaceful demonstration in Syria, in Daraa on 18 March 2011, the situation has become more intolerable every day. The regime has remained deaf to the voice of its people, to all the appeals by the international community, including those of the Arab League and its close partners, and is descending into an ever bloodier crackdown, into ever more brutal violence. The international community is condemning this blind escalation resolutely and in the strongest terms, both at the General Assembly and at the Human Rights Council, where the commission of inquiry report, the content of which is damning for the regime, was examined today, confirming that a crime against humanity is under way.

Obviously, bringing an end to the violence and ensuring the people’s access to humanitarian assistance is of the utmost urgency. Ms Amos will shortly brief our Council on her visit on the ground, but we already know she’s said she was horrified by what she saw; we already know about the crimes, abuse and horrors being suffered by the Syrian people on a daily basis. Like Hama 30 years ago, Homs will go down in the history of mankind as one of those cities whose suffering will haunt our memories.

Only a political response to the legitimate aspirations of the people and the implementation of the reforms that were called for with such vigour will help resolve the Syrian crisis. This will come about through a transition based on the Arab League plan of 22 January, which enjoys broad support from the international community, as demonstrated by the General Assembly resolution of 16 February and the Security Council vote of 4 February. No other peaceful outcome is possible.

Finally, as I emphasized a few days ago to the Human Rights Council, the Syrian regime’s crimes must not go unpunished. The day will come when the civilian and military authorities of that country must be held accountable for their actions. Let us begin laying the groundwork for a case at the International Criminal Court.

Make no mistake: in the face of the Syrian crisis, our Council has an historic responsibility: the responsibility to end massive human rights violations; the responsibility to avoid an escalation that could be fatal to peace in Lebanon and in the region. By refusing to act, we’re abandoning the oppressed to the oppressors; we’re abandoning the Syrians to violence and barbarity. By refusing to act, we’re allowing civil war to gain the upper hand a little more each day over the quest for a peaceful solution. Being a member of the Council means mobilizing concretely in support of global peace and security. It also means putting the common good above all other considerations. Our responsibility is to act. To act now, to finally end the suffering of the Syrian people and enable them to regain control over their destiny.

A draft resolution is being discussed to respond to this urgent situation and to find a credible solution to the crisis, which is steadily deteriorating. I say today as I said on 31 January: it’s unacceptable for our Council to be prevented from assuming its responsibilities. Let us support Kofi Annan’s mission and the Arab League’s plan. After months of deadlock, I urge China and Russia to heed the voices of the Arabs and the world conscience and to join us.

 Excerpts from the interview given by Alain Juppé, Ministre d’Etat, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, to Europe 1, I-Télé, Le Parisien and Aujourd’hui en France

Paris, 11 March 2012

(…)

Syria

THE MINISTER – I find what’s happening in Syria hugely frustrating. (…) Despite all the efforts we’ve been making for weeks, the massacre is continuing.

After Homs, it’s now the turn of Idlib in Syria.

What are we trying to do? What was the purpose of this resolution? It was to achieve a ceasefire, a cessation of the violence and, at last, the access to humanitarian assistance currently being refused by the regime. What we can’t accept in this resolution is for the regime, which is murdering its citizens, to be put on exactly the same level as the insurgents who are trying to defend themselves.

Q. – For you, are there no other solutions than the departure of Bashar al-Assad?

THE MINISTER – For us, there are no other solutions today than to implement – and this is the second point that is problematic in this resolution – the plan for a political settlement of the situation in Syria which was put forward by the Arab League and which we support.

Q. – But he’s having none of it! He repeated that to Kofi Annan, whom he’s seeing again today.

THE MINISTER – Just because he’s having none of it doesn’t mean we must give up. We’d like this plan to be implemented, and we won’t give way on this point, because we have the support of 13 of the 15 Security Council members, 137 member states at the General Assembly, and the whole Friends of the Syrian People Group, who met in Tunis and will soon meet again in Turkey.

The second point is this: a plan for a political settlement that envisages – as in Yemen – the sidelining of the current president, the creation of a coalition government including the opposition, and the organization of free elections.

What’s the goal in Syria? It’s to enable the Syrian people to emerge from dictatorship and move towards democracy. We haven’t got there yet, and we’re going to continue our efforts to that end. (…)

Why isn’t an intervention possible?

Firstly, for a crystal clear reason, which is legal and which I’ve been repeating tirelessly for months: because we rule out engaging in a military intervention if we don’t have a green light from the United Nations Security Council.

Q. – And it couldn’t be done under another kind of mandate?

THE MINISTER – You know as well as I do that China and Russia are currently using their veto. That’s the first reason, which I think is very simple.

The second reason is that we’re looking at an opposition that isn’t at all organized, as the [Libyan] National Transitional Council was; it’s divided. Within the opposition, some are calling for a military intervention and others object to it.

The third reason is that there’s the highest possible risk of civil war in the event of a foreign intervention in Syria. As you know, there are different communities in that country – Alawites, Sunnis, Christians, Kurds etc. – and they’re not all on the same wavelength. That’s why even the Arab League, in the official line it’s adopting today, isn’t calling for military intervention. (…)

 Syria/adoption of a Security Council statement demanding humanitarian access to Syria – Excerpts from the statement by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Spokesman

Paris, 2 March 2012

(…)

France welcomes the unanimous adoption by the Security Council of a statement demanding that the Syrian authorities guarantee immediate and unhindered access to people in need of assistance and to authorize Ms Amos’s visit to Syria.

Beyond the humanitarian emergency, this crisis requires a political solution. Damascus must put an immediate end to the relentless crackdown which has already caused the deaths of more than 7,000 civilians, and embark on a credible transition process based on the Arab League plan. (…)./.

 Syria/refusal of the Syrian authorities to authorize Ms Valerie Amos to visit Syria – Excerpts from the statement by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Spokesman

Paris, 1 March 2012

The refusal by the Syrian authorities to allow Ms Valerie Amos to conduct a visit to Syria to assess the emergency measures required in order to provide humanitarian assistance to the population is extremely shocking. This decision is another clear sign that Damascus refuses to cooperate with the United Nations and to facilitate access to its territory.

France renews her appeal to the Syrian authorities to fully cooperate with the UN, and particularly with the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, at a time when the situation on the ground is continuing to deteriorate and the crackdown against civilians is continuing to claim more lives every day, especially in the city of Homs, which has been relentlessly bombed for three weeks now.

We welcome the decision of the UN-Arab League Special Envoy for Syria, Mr Kofi Annan, to visit Damascus in the near future. We support his determination to convey a clear message to the Syrian authorities. The violence must stop and the humanitarian players must finally be given access to the people at risk and to all areas under threat. A political solution to the ongoing crisis must be found quickly. The Damascus government will have to heed this message. All international players will have to facilitate Mr Annan’s efforts to carry out his mission, which is likely to prove difficult./.

 Syria – Press briefing given by the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry Spokesman (excerpts)

Paris, 27 February 2012

Q – Several members of the Syrian National Council (SNC) announced yesterday, on Sunday, the creation of a competing organization, which could weaken the opposition outside of Syria. What is your response, especially given that France strongly supports the SNC?

Will this dissent have an impact on France’s recognition of the SNC as a “legitimate” representative of the opposition?

THE SPOKESMAN – As the minister underlined at the meeting in Tunis on February 24, we encourage all of the various components of the opposition to rally around the SNC whose chairman publicly presented his vision of the Syria of tomorrow: a democratic, pluralistic Syria that respects human rights and the rights of women and minorities, notably Christian minorities.

The Friends of Syria group recognized the SNC as “a legitimate representative of Syrians seeking peaceful democratic change.” The Tunisian chairman’s conclusions underlined the need to find a political solution to the Syrian crisis./.

 Syria/French journalists in Homs – Press briefing by Alain Juppé, Ministre d’Etat, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs (excerpts)

Paris, 22 February 2012

As soon as we heard of the bombing that hit a group of journalists in Homs, I expressed, together with President Sarkozy, France’s utmost condemnation of these new acts of savagery committed by the Damascus regime.

These journalists were killed and injured while doing their job of reporting the terrible massacres taking place in Homs despite the denials of the Syrian regime.

The Syrian authorities have once again failed in a fundamental duty, namely the duty to guarantee journalists’ safety and the freedom of information. After Gilles Jacquier, another French victim, along with other colleagues, has paid with his life for his commitment to the freedom of information.

I solemnly call on the Syrian government to immediately halt the attacks and abide by the humanitarian obligations incumbent upon it, with regard both to journalists, of course, and to the entire Syrian civilian population.

At my request, our ambassador in Damascus has demanded that the Syrian authorities provide safe medical access to assist the injured, with the support of the International Committee of the Red Cross. My principal private secretary has summoned Syria’s ambassador in Paris to express these demands in the strongest terms.

France holds the Syrian authorities responsible and accountable for the lives of our citizens, including those who are injured.

This evening, my message is clear: given the urgency of the situation, the regime in Damascus owes us a response, and it will be held accountable for its actions. (…)./.

 Syria/adoption of United Nations General Assembly resolution – Statement by Alain Juppé, Ministre d’Etat, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs

Paris, 17 February 2012

I welcome last night’s adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the resolution on Syria.

137 states – including all those which voted in favour of the Moroccan draft resolution at the Security Council on 4 February – gave their overwhelming and unequivocal support to the Syrian people, the Arab League and the only initiative enabling Syria to emerge peacefully from the crisis.

For 11 months, the Syrian people’s legitimate aspirations have been violently put down. Today the international community is demanding that the Damascus regime halt the massacres, respect its humanitarian obligations and implement the Arab League’s political transition plan.

For France, this is a new step towards ending the Syrian people’s suffering. Along with our partners, we shall do everything possible, in all forums, to ensure this resolution is fully implemented. The first meeting of the group of friends of the Syrian people, in Tunis, will be devoted to this.

Following the blocking of the Security Council by veto, everyone must take on board the consequences of this exemplary mobilization by the United Nations./.

 Syria/meeting between Alain Juppé, Ministre d’Etat, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, and humanitarian and human rights organizations – Statement by the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry Spokesman

Paris, 14 February 2012

The Ministre d’Etat convened a meeting today at the Quai d’Orsay with the main international organizations and French non-governmental organizations operating in Syria in the fields of humanitarian assistance and human rights, in the presence of the French Ambassador to Syria, M. Eric Chevallier.

M. Alain Juppé recalled that, over the past 10 months, France has constantly condemned the atrocities committed by the regime and he underlined the action undertaken at the UN with our European partners, in support of the Arab League, to put an end to them.

He mentioned the initiatives under way to resolve the crisis. These involve:

 encouraging the Syrian opposition’s efforts on the path towards unity and a system in which all components of Syrian society are fully represented;

 increasing pressure, through strengthened sanctions, on the Syrian regime so that it accepts the Arab League’s political solution;

 continuing to support the commitment of the Arab League, whose action and firm conclusions adopted on 12 February should be commended;

 actively participating in the Friends of Syria group, the first meeting of which will take place on 24 February in Tunis, in order to strengthen international consensus and to convince those countries that are still reticent;

 taking action within the various UN organs;

 and lastly, responding to the humanitarian emergency.

The representatives of the international organizations and the non-governmental organizations confirmed the terrible situation that is prevailing in Syria. They described the difficulties in gaining access, and the various efforts undertaken to help the Syrian people.

M. Alain Juppé paid tribute to their commitment and courage. He emphasized France’s mobilization in all the international forums in order to get the right of access to the people recognized. He announced his decision, at national level, to create an emergency relief fund for Syria, with an initial sum of €1 million, intended to fund the efforts of all the organizations and associations wishing to help the Syrian people. France will propose to those attending the meeting in Tunis that a similar type of fund at international level be established./.

 Syria – Press briefing given by the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry Spokesman (excerpts)

Paris, 10 February 2012

(…)

Q. – Is there any progress with respect to Turkey’s proposal for an international conference?

What is the substance of the meetings between M. Juppé and his Turkish counterpart? Does this mean that relations between France and Turkey are no longer frozen?

THE SPOKESMAN – The situation on the ground in Syria is appalling. The carnage in the city of Homs continues. The Syrian people’s suffering is continuing and intensifying; the reports we’re receiving about the situation in Homs are horrendous.

In this context, in which violence competes with horror, providing assistance to the Syrian people is now a priority for French diplomacy. President Sarkozy, M. Alain Juppé, our entire diplomatic network are now mobilized and taking initiatives. M. Alain Juppé has had numerous discussions with many of his counterparts in recent days, and he will continue to do so. He is due to meet his Russian counterpart, Mr Sergei Lavrov, in Vienna next week. He will also see his Dutch counterpart here in Paris.

So we’re mobilized on several fronts:

 The first thing we’re doing is taking on board the consequences for us as a result of the deadlock observed at the Security Council a few days ago. After that, the first task of all French authorities and the entire French diplomatic network is to step up contacts with everyone. We aren’t throwing in the towel.

 Secondly, together with our European partners, we’re working to speed things up in order for more and tougher European sanctions to be swiftly adopted against the Damascus regime.

 Our third line of action relates to the continuous contact we’re maintaining with the Syrian opposition, always in the same spirit aimed at showing our support for them and encouraging them to continue their efforts to rally people together and promote unity. The Syrian opposition is making progress towards this, which is all the more crucial given that the situation on the ground is deteriorating day after day.

 Fourthly, our action will focus on supporting the Arab League’s mobilization. The Arab League has for a long time played a truly remarkable role in this matter. They denounced what was happening in Syria, they sent an observer mission, they referred the matter to the Security Council and specifically requested the Security Council to intervene. The Arab League continues to be mobilized and we support this mobilization by the Arab countries. In the next few days it will lead to an important meeting in Cairo which has been scheduled to coincide with a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting.

What is the purpose of this mobilization by the Arab countries? It’s aimed at advancing the plan that the Arab League proposed to the Security Council. I reiterate the main elements of this plan: an end to the violence, the Syrian army’s return to barracks and the release of political prisoners.

This is the spirit in which we’re working. Proposals have been made, ideas are circulating, we’re working on plans to establish a group of friends of Syria. Consultations are under way, coordination efforts are continuing; the next stage will be based on the outcome of the Arab League meeting. In this spirit and in this context, we support all the efforts, all the initiatives of all those who want to mobilize themselves to work collectively and responsibly towards this.

Finally, something else we’re working on: the humanitarian situation. The humanitarian situation in Homs is appalling; in this respect we will assess the situation based on the reports we get from our ambassador in Syria, who has been recalled for consultations and is due to arrive here in the next few hours. (…)./.

 Syria – Telephone conversation between Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the Republic, and Dmitry Medvedev, President of Russia

Paris, 8 February 2012

President Sarkozy took the initiative this evening of telephoning Mr Dmitry Medvedev, President of Russia, to talk about the situation in Syria.

Despite the deadlock at the Security Council, which he deeply regretted, the Head of State stressed the need to increase pressure on the Syrian regime to end the brutal crackdown on the Syrian people and enable them finally to achieve their aspirations for freedom and democracy.

In spite of our differences, he called for Russia wholeheartedly to support the Arab League’s plan, in order to persuade Bashar al-Assad to step aside, thus avoiding a civil war which would threaten the integrity of Syria and the stability of the whole region, and allow an orderly political transition to begin./.

 Syria – Reply by Alain Juppé, Ministre d’Etat, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, to a question in the National Assembly

Paris, 8 February 2012

Last week I was saying – in reply to Jean-Christophe Lagarde – that glimmers of hope had appeared at the Security Council, which I visited. Sadly, a few days later Russia, followed by China, vetoed the draft resolution we had prepared.

I’d like to emphasize that the Security Council’s 13 other members, including India, Pakistan and South Africa, approved the draft resolution. I believe very little is to be expected from the visit the Russian Foreign Minister is currently paying to Damascus. It’s likely that Bashar al-Assad will make promises he won’t keep.

What can we do? People are talking to us about a military intervention in Syria, like the one we carried out in Libya. The circumstances are radically different. We won’t secure a Security Council mandate and, furthermore, there would be an extremely high risk of civil war in a country split between hostile communities.

So our diplomatic efforts are focusing on three central objectives. Firstly, we’re going to convene a meeting of the friends of the Syrian people, the 13 Security Council members who passed the [draft] resolution, European Union partners and the major emerging countries – such as Turkey – to increase pressure on what is holding things up and also on Bashar al-Assad himself.

Secondly, in Brussels, we’re going to step up sanctions again, particularly on the Central Bank of Syria.

Thirdly, we’re supporting the Syrian opposition. I had a meeting again yesterday with the Chairman of the Syrian National Council, Mr Ghalioun, to assure him of our support and see, with him, how we can help him organize and open up the Syrian National Council.

The Syrian people have been cruelly tormented for months. Their agony will leave a moral stain on the image of the United Nations Security Council. France is not giving up on helping these brave, tormented people, who are our friends./.

 Statements by the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry Spokesman

Paris, 7 February 2012

  Group of friends of the Syrian people

France refuses to resign itself to the deadlock at the Security Council. That’s why President Sarkozy proposed creating a group of friends of the Syrian people, the purpose of which would be to strengthen international mobilization and help resolve the Syrian crisis, in support of the Arab League’s efforts.

Consultations are under way in order to determine the scope of this initiative. The Ministre d’Etat notably discussed this topic yesterday with the Secretary-General of the Arab League and the Qatari Prime Minister.

 Contact between France and the opposition groups

We are in contact with all of the opposition groups attached to establishing a democratic, pluralist and secular Syria, based on citizenship and respect for the rights of minorities.

The SNC has made progress toward building momentum within the Syrian opposition and toward bringing the different components of this opposition together around it. We urge it to continue its efforts. It’s in this spirit that the Ministre d’Etat met yesterday with Burhan Ghalioun, Chairman of the SNC.

 Visit by Sergey Lavrov to Damascus

We take note of Mr. Lavrov’s visit to Damascus today, at a time when the violence has significantly increased, particularly in recent weeks, and UNSC action has been paralyzed by the double veto by Russia and China.

We expect Mr. Lavrov to make the Damascus regime aware of its international isolation and to persuade it to agree to the implementation of the Arab League plan, the only initiative currently on the table that will allow us to find a peaceful and credible solution to the current crisis.

In our view, the Arab League’s courageous initiative must form the basis of any solution to the Syrian crisis. It must be supported, with a view toward finally responding to the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people, who have been subjected to an intolerable crackdown for 11 months now, by putting an end to this crackdown and allowing a political transition to begin.

 New European Union sanctions

Discussions are under way in Brussels in order to ensure that new sanctions are adopted against Syria./.

 Syria/United Nations Security Council – Communiqué issued by Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the Republic

Paris, 4 February 2012

President Sarkozy strongly deplores the fact that, due to the vote of two permanent members and despite the support of the other 13 members, the Security Council has, for a second time, been unable to speak out on the situation in Syria.

Since March 2011, the Damascus regime has addressed the Syrian people’s legitimate aspiration for democracy only through a fierce crackdown and unfulfilled promises.

The Syrian tragedy must end. The massive use of armed force against civilians, the widespread recourse to torture and the violence against hundreds of children are appalling. Those who order such crimes against humanity, commit them or allow them to be committed will have to answer for it. The states preventing the Security Council from condemning these acts are encouraging the Syrian regime to carry on with its cruel, doomed policy.

On 22 January the Arab League, shouldering its responsibilities, adopted a plan which could allow the violence to be ended, the Syrian people to be given a voice through elections and President Bashar al-Assad to step aside, whilst preserving the state’s structures to prevent the country from sliding into civil war.

It is this sensible plan which 13 of the 15 Security Council members wanted to support. France is not giving up. She is consulting her European and Arab partners in order to create a “friends of the Syrian people group”, whose aim will be to get the international community to wholeheartedly support the implementation of the Arab League initiative./.

 Syria/United Nations Security Council – Explanation of vote by the Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations

New York, 4 February 2012

Mr President,

I am deeply saddened and concerned to learn that a double veto has just blocked the draft resolution on Syria supported by all other members of the Council. This is a sad day for the Council; it’s a sad day for the Syrian people; it’s a sad day for all friends of democracy.

And beyond the thousands of people who have been killed, injured, tortured and imprisoned since the start of the crackdown nearly a year ago, history has compounded our shame since today is the anniversary of the Hama massacre and the day after another despicable massacre in Homs. The father killed on a massive scale; the son is doing the same. Damascus’s horrors are hereditary.

Mr President,

We’ve been discussing Syria for 10 months now already, and this Council has only been able to adopt a mere Presidential Statement, on 3 August 2011, as a result of Russia and China’s veto in October of a text that had already been watered down.

What’s happened in a period of more than 10 months?

More than 6,000 Syrians have fallen victim to the crackdown. And what do we really know about it? Ten days ago, Ms Pillay, High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that it was now impossible for her to determine the number of victims of the crackdown.

The UN Secretary-General has continuously urged the Council to act in order to put an end to the crimes against humanity being committed in Syria, and this Council has remained silent.

The Human Rights Council has pointed out, three times, the overwhelming responsibility of the Syrian regime, and this Council has remained silent.

Within the forum of the General Assembly, 133 states have formally condemned these criminal acts and urged for an immediate end to them, and this Council has remained silent.

In this same chamber, just three days ago, the Arab League urged our Council to support its action in the face of the Syrian regime’s deafness, and in the face of the risks to which the entire region is exposed as a result of this deafness. The Secretary-General of the Arab League and the Prime Minister of Qatar argued, right here, in favour of a solution that is the only credible way to achieve a peaceful resolution of the Syrian crisis. A resolution, presented by Morocco, which was widely sponsored both within and outside the Council and was deemed by the majority to be based on a consensus, proposed lending the Council’s support to the regional efforts. No more and no less. And this Council will remain silent.

We cannot, we must not, avoid this damning conclusion: two permanent members of the Security Council are systematically obstructing any Security Council action. They are doing so with full knowledge of the tragic consequences their decisions will have for the Syrian people, and in doing so they become accomplices of the Damascus regime’s policy of repression. Whatever they say, they have in effect taken the Assad regime’s side against the Syrian people.

I’m well aware of the arguments that will be made by those who are now opposed to the Council’s action. I can already hear them proclaiming that a few more days would have been enough for us to come to an agreement. A few days, while hundreds of Syrians are dying every day? We couldn’t wait any longer especially since this draft resolution represents the broadest possible consensus of the international community, while aiming to support the efforts of the regional actors to find a political solution to the crisis.

For 10 months, we’ve been accused of trying to overthrow a regime, of preparing for a military intervention. This is clearly wrong.

We’ve responded to these concerns at length. Three days ago, right here, our ministers stated that there was no question of imposing a political regime on Syria. On this point, and with respect to a military intervention, the draft resolution couldn’t be clearer. How much time have we wasted during these debates? This prevarication falls short of addressing the tragedy the Syrian people are living through.

History will look harshly upon the countries that have prevented the Council from supporting the Arab League’s efforts to implement its plan. By doing so, they unscrupulously aligned themselves with a regime that is massacring its people. By doing so, they decided that their presence in the Middle East was now dependent on the future of Assad’s regime. This presence and this regime will share the same fate.

As I said, today is a sad day. But we won’t stop there. We don’t have the right to abandon the Syrian people to their tragic fate. I say to the Syrian people that France will continue to work in all forums, with all partners that share her values and the goal that should unite us: putting an end to the Syrian nightmare. We will continue to work with the Arab League, whose plan remains on the table even though it hasn’t been endorsed by this Council. We will continue to support the peaceful Syrian opposition movement, which is trying to rally around the Syrian National Council. We will continue to increase the pressure by imposing new EU sanctions.

Mr President,

My final word will be for the Syrian people who, with extraordinary courage, have not lost sight of the prospect of their freedom. From this Council, I want to express to them France’s wholehearted support and our determination to tirelessly continue our action. We have met with a first double veto and have come back to the Council. We’re now meeting with a second veto but, in the name of the principles that guide this Council and the action of the United Nations, in the name of our responsibility as a permanent member, it won’t stop us. Thank you./.

 Syria – Reply given by Alain Juppé, Ministre d’Etat, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, to a question in the National Assembly (excerpts)

Paris, 1 February 2012

(…)

You’ve given a few figures; I’ll add a few more: 6,000 deaths to date, according to UNICEF, 384 children massacred by the regime, 15,000 prisoners, 15,000 refugees. Since the beginning of this tragedy, France hasn’t stopped condemning it and calling for the mobilization of the international community. Unfortunately, until today we’ve been obstructed by Russia’s threat of a veto, as you know, and by the hostility of those known as the BRICS: Brazil, India, South Africa…

There’s been a new development in the last few weeks – namely, the engagement of the Arab League, which has not only sent observers to Syria but has also drawn up a plan to resolve the crisis. That was the purpose of yesterday’s meeting which I attended at the Security Council. The aim is to get the Security Council to endorse this Arab League plan, which first of all urges the regime to halt the violence and also proposes a political transition inspired a little by what’s happened in Yemen. We discussed this at length, and for the first time – without being over-optimistic – I have to say that Russia’s attitude, the attitude of the BRICS, to use that term again, was less negative. The initiative has the support, of course, of all the Europeans, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Germany and also the Americans.

So we’re going to work flat out over the coming days to try and achieve a resolution that will then enable the Arab League to put all its effort into the search for this solution.

That’s where we are today. A window of hope has opened up./.

 Statement by the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry Spokesman

Paris, 1 February 2012

France/Syria – United Nations Security Council meeting on Syria

M. Alain Juppé travelled to New York on Tuesday, 31 January for a United Nations Security Council meeting on Syria.

The Ministre d’Etat undertook this initiative because the deteriorating situation has become extremely dangerous. The intensification of the crackdown and the legitimate anger of the civilian population mean that everything must be done to find a swift solution:

 The Damascus regime is turning a deaf ear to all appeals and has forged ahead with its criminal policy by intensifying the crackdown and perpetrating the worst possible atrocities, including against children;

 Alongside the people’s peaceful mobilization, which remains strong despite the violence of the crackdown, armed resistance is being organized, with the premise of possible civil war;

 The Arab League wants its plan to resolve the crisis to be endorsed by the Security Council; to this end, Morocco submitted a draft resolution on Friday, 27 January on behalf of the Arab League.

Given the urgency of the situation, France’s goal is to support the Arab League’s courageous initiative, to make those members of the Security Council still opposed to this action face up to their responsibilities, and to send a signal of hope to the Syrian people.

M. Alain Juppé argued in favour of a resolution that unambiguously expresses the Security Council’s support for the Arab League’s proposals: a peaceful political solution that satisfies the Syrian people’s legitimate demands for freedom and reform.

The negotiations will continue in New York today. They must be brought to a swift conclusion.

The Ministre d’Etat’s presence at the Security Council underlined France’s steadfast commitment over the past months to get the Security Council to end its outrageous silence and condemn Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

M. Alain Juppé was in New York yesterday to press his case and France will continue to be engaged in the name of freedom and against barbarity./.

 United Nations Security Council Meeting on Syria – Speech by Alain Juppé, Ministre d’Etat, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs

New York, 31 January 2012

Mr President,

We are meeting today so that the Security Council may assume its responsibilities towards a suffering people in a region where peace is threatened by the bloody abuses of a regime on its last legs. The Council’s months-long silence is unacceptable. It is to the Arab League’s credit that it has come here to urge the Council today to resume its efforts. France solemnly calls on the Security Council to be worthy of the mission entrusted to it by the UN Charter, by coming to the rescue of a people and a region that want nothing but peace and respect for their dignity.

Mr President,

The Arab League is taking action and has gone as far as it can to respond to the demands of the situation: suspending Syria from the League, sending an observer mission, defining a political transition plan. I want to pay tribute to the League’s courageous commitment in the Syrian conflict. I want to applaud the presence with us here today of its secretary general, Nabil al-Arabi, and the Prime Minister of Qatar, Hamad bin Jassem, and to thank them for the presentation they’ve just given. I also welcome the decision by the Kingdom of Morocco to present to us the draft resolution, which France fully supports. Finally, I want to welcome the collective effort of all the Arab League states: I am well aware that decisions on the situation in Syria are particularly difficult for some of them to take and implement, if only given their geographical proximity to Damascus.

Today, I repeat, we are meeting in order to end this Council’s outrageous silence. I am indeed using the word “outrageous” and I will try to explain my use of this adjective.

What is the situation in Syria today? A people rose up to defend its freedom. Words are no longer enough to describe the horror of a savage crackdown. To say it is worsening, to say it is tragic, does not convey the reality. There have been 5,400 deaths, according to the UN! 384 children have been murdered, according to UNICEF! 15,000 prisoners! 15,000 refugees! Torture on a daily basis!

I have long described some of the regime’s actions as crimes against humanity. The International Commission of Inquiry established by the Human Rights Council has confirmed this description. But beyond the figures, it is the faces of tortured children, the bodies of sexually assaulted women, the thousands of human beings who are victims of the crackdown that must guide our efforts. The humanitarian situation, which deteriorates a bit further each day. How much horror must there be for the Security Council to demand an end to human rights violations and free access for humanitarian aid?

Each nation has the responsibility to protect its civilian population. Not content with failing to protect its people, the Syrian regime shamefully massacres them without restraint. This behaviour has direct consequences on international peace and security: thousands of refugees fleeing the fighting, violations of the sovereignty of neighbouring states, heightened tensions between communities – so many direct repercussions on the stability of an already fragile region. Even without mentioning the responsibility to protect, these regional consequences are enough to establish the Security Council’s responsibility.

How is this even debatable? France has constantly called on the Council to take decisions, to work on them and put them to a vote. Unsuccessfully, if we leave aside the presidential statement of 3 August. Is that acceptable? I don’t think so. Is it an outrage? I am convinced of it.

Of course, we have continued our efforts despite this silence. Eleven times, the European Union has stepped up sanctions against the regime and its protagonists. France has worked very hard on this. We have established ties with the peaceful opposition. On several occasions, I have met the leaders of the Syrian National Council, which for us is a legitimate interlocutor, and whose efforts at unifying the opposition I salute.

But our efforts, determined as they may be, those of the European Union, those of the Arab League, cannot replace those of the Security Council. Through the legitimacy invested in it by the UN Charter, it is the Council that can authoritatively express the will of the international community. The Security Council is the cornerstone of international peace and security. To remain so, it has a duty to speak out in cases as grave as that of Syria.

How? By adopting, swiftly and with broad support, the draft resolution brought by Morocco. This lends the Council’s support to the Arab League, which – strengthened by the crucial involvement of regional actors – is today the only body offering realistic prospects for a political settlement.

There are two key points in this text:

 First of all, the text unequivocally condemns the crackdown that the regime is engaging in, without falling into the trap of drawing a false parallel between this and the actions of the opposition members on the ground. Because although a minority of people are resorting to violence, the overwhelming majority of Syrians courageously take to the streets every day unarmed in the face of the regime’s indiscriminate violence. We must bow before these women and men with great respect, these Syrians who march for their freedom every day knowing that they could be shot dead at any moment in the crackdown.

I’d like – because this has been mentioned – to pay my respects to the memory of Gilles Jacquier, the French journalist who died while doing his job. I won’t allow this death to be exploited. It was up to the Syrian authorities to grant him all the necessary protection. I understand this wasn’t the case. As for the observer mission commission’s report which has been distributed to us, it doesn’t really decide on the origin of the exchanges of fire that claimed the life of my compatriot. True, the mission indicates that the journalist was killed by mortar fire from the opposition, but this theory isn’t endorsed by the Arab League, and we’re still waiting for the Syrian authorities to shed full light on this episode.

 Second key point: this draft gives the Council’s support to the three main components of the Arab League’s initiative: the demand for an end to the violence, the request for the observers to be given free access and above all, for the first time, the definition of a credible political transition process. It will be up to the Arab League to implement it. Our responsibility lies in helping it to do so, by conveying to the Syrian regime the clear message that the international community is united behind the Arab efforts.

Certainly, we ourselves would have liked the Security Council to go further. But we need a swift response which will finally provide a way to resolve this terrible crisis. We are therefore ready, right now, to vote in favour of the text proposed by Morocco.

Some people at times make comparisons with the conflict in Libya. That’s a pure pretext. According to them, there’s a plan directed towards a military intervention in Syria. That’s a fantasy. There’s nothing, absolutely nothing in the draft resolution circulated to the Security Council members by the Permanent Representative of Morocco that can be interpreted as an authorization to use force. This draft doesn’t come under Chapter VII. We’re not preparing for a military operation.

The tragic situation the Syrian people are living through is more than enough to justify our action. Our objective is simple: to find a peaceful solution to the crisis which allows these people to freely express their aspirations. [I say] to the Syrian people, to the different sectors [of the population] and no one else: we don’t have any intention of imposing from outside any kind of political regime. It’s up to the Syrians to do that freely.

The Arab League is offering the only viable prospect of achieving this objective. Let’s seize it. Let’s transcend our differences of opinion and support the plan now being presented to us. Let’s live up to our responsibilities, to the political and moral duty imposed on us by the Syrian people’s peaceful uprising inspired by the momentum of the Arab Spring.

Ladies and gentlemen,

There’s no more time to lose. In less than a year, the crackdown has resulted in more than 5,000 deaths. Every week lost leads to hundreds more deaths; every day lost leads to dozens of new deaths. In memory of all of the victims, I urge the members of this Council to immediately vote in favour of this text so that a political process can be initiated that can put an end to the Syrian nightmare.

Thank you./.

Alain Juppé’s statement in video

 Syria/visit to the United Nations Security Council by Alain Juppé, Ministre d’Etat, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs – Statement by the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry Spokesman

Paris, 30 January 2012

The Ministre d’Etat will travel to New York tomorrow, Tuesday, 31 January in order to persuade the Security Council to fully assume its responsibilities in the face of the worsening crimes against humanity committed by the Syrian regime. This meeting was called for by the Arab League, whose efforts we commend and support. Several Arab ministers and several ministers from Security Council member countries are expected to participate in the meeting.

Indeed, the situation in Syria remains critical and is continuously deteriorating. Dozens of Syrian civilians have been killed in recent days as result of the Syrian regime’s savage crackdown, notably during massive military operations against several towns, particularly in the greater Damascus area. We were particularly shocked by reports that 14 members of a family from Homs, including eight children, have been killed. Everything must be done to bring an end to the spiral of violence resulting today from the bloody crackdown that Bashar al-Assad’s regime has been imposing for more than 10 months.

It is time for the Security Council to take action to help resolve this crisis. France supports the Arab League’s efforts. The goal of tomorrow’s ministerial meeting is to ensure that the Security Council has an opportunity to listen to the report by the Arab League, which has been involved on the ground since the end of December, and that it is able to support its efforts and recommendations.

A draft resolution to that effect was presented to the Security Council on Friday by Morocco, on behalf of the Arab League. This text must now be adopted. Tomorrow’s ministerial meeting should contribute to achieving that./.

 Syria dossier of the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations in New York
 A full photo set for the Security Council meeting is available