Mood calls for change in UNSMIS mandate if activities would be "meaningful"

UNITED NATIONS, June 20 (KUNA) -- Head of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) General Robert Mood urged the Security Council members late Tuesday to change the Mission's mandate if they want its activities to be "meaningful," noting that is the reason behind his decision to halt its activities last week.
He told reporters following a closed-door briefing to the council on the mission's work and the daily risks it faces that "I halted (UNSMIS) operations because of the risk level, the violence, and because it is difficult to implement the mandated tasks in these circumstances." "That, in itself, is a message. In other words, we need to see a change if the activities of the mission in the current configuration and under the current mandate is going to be meaningful," he added.
Asked whether the mission should be enhanced by the council, he said "it is not for me to decide on what the options are" for the mission when its mandate expires (on July 20.) "That is for the council, supported by the UN Secretariat." He said he also told the council that the violence, including shelling, small arms fire, and other incidents, "are coming much closer and we have been targeted several times over the last few weeks." He insisted that the observers will patrol the Syrian streets again if the violence subsides, both the government and the opposition commit to their safety and security and to their freedom of movement, noting that the government has expressed that "very clearly in the last couple of days, but I have not seen the same clear statement from the opposition yet." Under Secretary-General for Peace-Keeping Operations Herve Ladsous, who also participated in the council's deliberations, told reporters that the meeting was not to discuss the extension of UNSMIS mandate. "It was just sharing of thoughts. We shall see in due course before July 20 (its expiration date) what the council decision is." He stressed that Joint Special Envoy for Syria Kofi Annan's six-point peace plan is the "only game in town." "It must be very clear that the six-point plan remains the reference for finding a solution to this dramatic syrian crisis," he said, adding that "for the time being, we have decided not to touch, not to modify, but rather to maintain the integrity of the mission and of its mandate." He noted, however, that a number of diplomatic initiatives are underway at the bilateral and multilateral levels, "so we have to think ahead, and to think about various options. I just gave the council the present state of our thoughts on the matter, but knowing that nothing has been chosen, that it will be the Secretary-General who will be making proposals to the council in due course for the council to consider." Council diplomats said privately that Ladsous suggested the creation of a UN political office to be based in Damascus or in the region and to expand the mission's number to at least 3,000 observers.
Council President Li Baodong of China told reporters that the council urged all parties in Syria to ensure safety of the mission and to provide it with favorable conditions to carry out its operations, and to implement Annan's peace plan in its entirety, "because there is no other choice," as well as UN relevant resolutions "immediately without conditions." On the joint US-Russian statement on Syria, Baodong said "we welcome this positive development. We think there is team work. Hopefully by working closely together, we can make progress and regain momentum. We should translate the words into action. We need cooperation and better coordination among the international community." French Ambassador Gerard Araud told reporters that the renewal of the mission's mandate on July 20 will depend on what is happening on the ground, the political discussions among the G20 in Mexico, and the recommendations of the Secretary-General.
Asked if there were a chance the council will take its decision before July 20, Araud only said that at the moment, the calendar was set to July 20.
Ban is scheduled to present to the council a number of recommendations on the mission's future before that deadline.(end) sj.wsa KUNA 201023 Jun 12NNNN