NEW YORK, Sept 19 (KUNA) -- Russia and China on Thursday vetoed a draft UNSC resolution submitted by Kuwait, Germany and Belgium calling for an immediate ceasefire in Syria's volatile northwestern governorate of Idlib.
Twelve members voted for the resolution, while Russia and China vetoed it. One member abstained from voting.
Kuwait, Germany and Belgium are the three penholders for the Syria humanitarian file.
The blocked resolution calls on all parties to immediately cease hostilities to avoid a further deterioration of the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Idlib Governorate, beginning at noon Damascus time on 21 September 2019.
It also demands member states to ensure that all measures taken to counter terrorism, including in Idlib Governorate, comply with their obligations under international law.
It stresses that counterterrorism operations do not absolve parties to armed conflicts of their obligations under international humanitarian law, including their obligation to distinguish between civilian populations and combatants, and urges all parties to apply the principles of distinction, proportionality, and the obligation to take all feasible precautions to avoid and in any event minimize harm to civilians and civilians objects.
It calls upon all parties to respect and fulfil their commitments to existing ceasefire agreements, including the full implementation of resolutions 2254 (2015), 2268 (2016) and 2401 (2018).
Furthermore, it urges all member states to use their influence with parties to ensure the implementation of a cessation of hostilities, the fulfilment of existing commitments and to support efforts to create the conditions for a durable and lasting nation-wide ceasefire.
The draft resolution recalls that some of the violations and abuses committed in Syria may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, and stresses that those who have committed violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law must be held accountable.
It reiterates a demand that all parties allow and facilitate, safe, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access for the United Nations and its implementing partners to requested areas and populations in Syria in order to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches people through the most direct route in order to meet basic needs, consistent with the provisions of its resolution 2449 (2018).
It underlines the need that all parties facilitate safe and unimpeded passage for medical personnel and humanitarian personnel exclusively engaged in medical duties, their equipment, transport and supplies, including surgical items, to all people in need, consistent with international humanitarian law.
It calls upon all parties, in particular the Syrian authorities, to undertake confidence-building measures, including through the immediate release of any arbitrarily detained persons, particularly women, children, and the elderly, as well as the provision of information on missing persons and handover of the bodies of the deceased to families, as outlined in resolution 2474 (2019).
The draft resolution reiterates that there will be no significant and sustainable improvement of the humanitarian situation in the absence of a political solution to the Syrian conflict in line with resolution 2254 (2015) and the Geneva Communique of 30 June 2012, to facilitate a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition, in order to end the conflict in Syria. (end) asf.hm