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Russia and the U.S. Reach an Agreement on U.N. Syria Weapons Resolution

The key powers of the United Nations Security Council reached an agreement on a resolution outlining Syria's legal obligations to give up its chemical weapons stockpile to international control.

By Abby Ohlheiser
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The key powers of the United Nations Security Council reached an agreement on a resolution outlining Syria's legal obligation to give up its chemical weapons stockpile to international control. That resolution, which the full Council will discuss later on Thursday, reportedly does not authorize specific enforcement provisions under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter if Syria does not comply with the resolution.

Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. tweeted on Thursday that the draft resolution is a result of an agreement between the U.S. and Russia "legally obligating #Syria to give up [chemical weapons] they used on their people." It will, she added, "[establish] that #Syria's use of [chemical weapons] is threat to international peace & security & creates a new norm against the use of [chemical weapons]." Mark Lyall Grant, the British ambassador to the U.N., will introduce the resolution to the full council, which he described as "binding and enforceable." 

"P5" refers to the five permanent members of the Security Council — Britain, France, the U.S., Russia and China. There are 10 other members of the Council.

Comments from Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov indicate, however, that the resolution will not authorize specific enforcement practices ahead of time under the U.N. Charter, meaning that the Security Council would have to reconvene and approve a separate resolution for enforcement should any party in the agreement not comply with its terms. "There will be no enforcement in line with Chapter 7," Lavarov told reporters on Thursday, adding, "the resolution which will be submitted to the UN Security Council is in line with the Geneva framework on the destruction of chemical weapons in Syria." According to the AFP, the Council would meet again later to discuss implementing sanctions against Syria if all doesn't go according to plan.

This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.