UNITED NATIONS, June 4 (KUNA) -- UN Security Council (UNSC) acknowledged progress achieved by Iraq in implementing its UN obligations towards Kuwait, thus will move some related issues from Chapter VII to VI of UN Charter when it meets on the matter next month, UNSC President said.
Mark Lyall-Grant, British Ambassador to UN and rorating UNSC President, told a press conference that UNSC will hold consultations on June 27 on Iraq-Kuwait "where there have been some positive developments, with the prospect of moving some dossiers from Chapter VII to Chapter VI" when the mandate of the High-Level Coordinator on Kuwait missing persons and property, who left his post in late December, is examined in July.
It is recalled that on May 30, Kuwait sent letters to UNSC indicating that it agreed in principle to having that mandate folded into the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), transferring the obligations from Chapter VII to Chapter VI.
Contrary to Chapter VII which threatens with "action by air, sea, or land forces as may be necessary to maintain or restore international peace and security," Chapter VI stipulates that the Council shall "call on the parties to settle their dispute by negotiation, mediation, arbitration, judicial settlement, or resort to regional agencies or arrangements or other peaceful means of their choice." On the proposed Geneva II Conference on Syria which has been postponed till July, Lyall-Grant said in answer to questions "I don't want to anticipate failure of the Geneva meeting, but if it does fail, then I think there will be a move by some members of the Council to address that in the Council ... one way or another," stressing at the same time that the UK and others are devoting "all our efforts to make the Geneva meeting a success." The Ambassador, who was briefing reporters on UNSC programme of work for this month, also said "I don't anticipate that there will be significant Security Council output in advance of the Geneva Conference." "The P5 are united that Geneva II should be a success. We hope it will be a success. We shall work for it to be a success, but it may not be," he conceded.
He said he will bring together as much as he can the different views within the Council. "But sometimes, views are so far apart, that it is not possible to bridge the divide. We have to be honest about that fact. That does not mean that the efforts will not continue." It is important that both sides in the Syria conflict are credible and empowered when they go to Geneva, he stressed. Those with influence on Damascus will need to ensure that its delegation meet the criteria, insisting that the decisions to be taken in Geneva II are to implement the Geneva Communique of last June.
"No one is being invited to Geneva (II) to re-negotiate the Geneva Communique, or re-interpret (it). They are going to implement the Geneva Communique," he said.
On the latest developments in the UN Disengagement Force between Syria and Israel, he predicted that its mandate will be amended when its renewal takes place later this month. He would not elaborate.
On the use of chemical weapons in Syria, he said in his national capacity "we are deeply concerned and shocked by increasing evidence of use, limited use but nonetheless use and repeated use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime. We've brought it to the attention of the UN investigation and we will continue" to do so, adding that "we have no evidence that the opposition either possesses or has used chemical weapons." Lyall-Grant concurred with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that the catalogue of atrocities committed in Syria and issued by the Geneva-based Panel of experts earlier today is "sickening and staggering." (end) sj.bs KUNA 042329 Jun 13NNNN