French President Francois Hollande stands among students to observe a minute of silence at the Sorbonne University in Paris in tribute to victims of Friday’s Paris attacks, November 16, 2015.
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Two draft UN Security Council counter-terrorism resolutions, submitted by Russian Federation and France this week, could both be adopted, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin told reporters. However, Western countries, including the US, Britain and France, rejected the resolution, raising issue with a clause that called for a fight against IS.
Prime Minister Manuel Valls of France said citizens expected “strong, quick and effective reactions” in the wake of the terror attacks in Paris. On Wednesday, Russian Federation submitted an edited draft of a text initially circulated to the council on September 30. “Because if you think back to events after Nine Eleven, first there was a short draft then a couple of weeks later there was a more comprehensive draft”.
“The French have deliberately drafted their resolution to focus on those parts of the council’s agenda where there is unity, where there is unanimity”, Rycroft said.
Delattre said he was seeking rapid approval of the draft resolution that was “put in blue” – a United Nations term designating that a final version is ready for a vote at the Security Council.
The text, seen by The Associated Press, also condemns the recent attacks by the Islamic State group and urges countries to “intensify their efforts to stem the flow of foreign terrorist fighters to Iraq and Syria”.
Russian Federation and the West have been unable to overcome differences over Assad’s future, with the United States and its European and Gulf allies pressing for a clear timetable for the Syrian leader to exit from power.
The text, shared with the The Independent, calls on member states “with the capacity to do so” to “take all necessary measures, in compliance with global law, in particular worldwide human rights, refugee and humanitarian law, on the territory under the control of Isil [ISIS] in Syria and Iraq, to redouble and co-ordinate their efforts to prevent and suppress terrorist acts committed specifically by Isil… and to eradicate the safe haven they have established in Iraq and Syria”.
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A U.S.-led coalition informed Syria when it began air strikes more than a year ago but did not seek permission.
