UN chief criticises world hesitance to help Syria

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday criticised the international community’s hesitance to solve the conflict in Syria, the Anadolu Agency reported.

Speaking at the UN Security Council on the situation in Syria, Ban stressed that early action to prevent conflict and protect human rights helps to strengthen sovereignty, rather than challenge or restrict it, and that serious violations of human rights that weaken sovereignty.

He made his remarks during an open debate at the UN Security Council on maintaining international peace and security organised by China.

The theme of the open debate, which opened yesterday morning, is: Maintaining International Peace and Security: Reflect on History and Affirm Strong Commitment to the Purposes and Principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

The UN chief pointed out that early efforts to address violations of human rights and political grievances in Syria are better than the terrifying escalation of the situation there now.

He stressed on the importance of the General Assembly’s members’ commitment to the international organisation’s principles and the United Nations charter as well as the international community’s role in preventing the recurrence of genocide and the outbreak of armed conflict.

Ban said: “The Charter is a living document, not a detailed roadmap. It is our compass, enshrining principles that have stood the test of time.”

He said the aspirations contained within the Charter remained “valid, valuable and vital”, especially the commitment to prevention of armed conflict through the peaceful settlement of disputes and the protection of human rights.

Ban said that the open debate is both timely and important as this year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.

For his part, the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, stressed on the need to resolve the current crisis in Syria through peaceful means.

He told reporters that “the future of Syria must be determined by Syrians themselves and through the participation of all parties within the country using dialogue.”

Wang Yi stressed on the need for the international community to help positively to resort to dialogue in order to resolve the Syrian crisis.

According to the United Nations statistics, the conflict in Syria has left some 200,000 people dead and displaced more than 10 million others.