UN General Assembly denounces Syrian crackdown, criticizes Security Council inaction
Source: Washington Post
The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly denounced Syrias crackdown Friday in a symbolic effort meant to push the deadlocked Security Council and the world at large into action on stopping the countrys civil war. The General Assembly vote was 133 in support of the resolution and 12 against, with 31 abstaining. Though General Assembly resolutions are unenforceable, a strong vote can carry moral weight.
Before the vote, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon reminded the Assembly of the fresh violence in the city of Aleppo and drew comparisons between the failure to act in Syria with the international communitys failure to protect people from past genocide in Srebrenica and Rwanda. The conflict in Syria is a test of everything this organization stands for, Ban said. I do not want todays United Nations to fail that test.
The revised resolution takes a swipe at Russia and China by deploring the Security Council failure to act. Frustration over the lack of action was clear.
The vote came after the more powerful Security Council was stopped by a series of Russian and Chinese vetoes on resolutions that would have opened the door to sanctions on Syria. The resolution backs Annans demand that the first step in the cessation of violence has to be made by the Syrian authorities.
Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/un-general-assembly-resolution-to-tell-syria-to-lock-down-chemical-weapons-stop-tank-attacks/2012/08/03/eefc9c32-dd20-11e1-8ad1-909913931f71_story.html
I doubt that the "moral weight" of even a lop-sided vote in the General Assembly will make any difference to the big powers that control the action (or inaction) of the Security Council.
David__77
(23,511 posts)The action of the security council in rejecting interventionist measures has been absolutely correct. Already, a great victory has been won for the forces of national independence, regardless of how this thing turns out (which is up to the Syrian people).
pampango
(24,692 posts)as the paramount consideration in situations where human rights violations are occurring.
I take it a good sign that so many countries view human rights as more important than states' rights at least in some situations.
David__77
(23,511 posts)I do not see sovereign rights as antagonistically opposed to other social rights. I am also unsure what the "do something" crowd are advocating, beyond some sanctions that would have little effect.