UN Security Council considering resolution on Aleppo

Discussions began on Monday at the UN security council over a possible resolution to ban all future military flights over Aleppo, the embattled city in northern Syria, Reuters reports.

According to a draft text seen by the Reuters news agency, the resolution would to “put an end to all military flights over the city”, through a mechanism of monitoring overseen by the UN.

The draft text – authored by France and Spain – would allow for “further measures” to be taken if the no-fly zone was breached by “any party to the Syrian domestic conflict.”

It goes on to focus directly on Russia – which backs the Assad regime – and the US and demands that they

ensure the immediate implementation of the cessation of hostilities, starting with Aleppo, and, to that effect, to put an end to all military flights over the city.

And it highlights the Security Council’s

outrage at the unacceptable and escalating level of violence and at the intensified campaigns, in recent days, of aerial bombings in Aleppo” and demands “the Syrian government end all aerial bombardments, in order to facilitate safe and unhindered humanitarian access

Russian – one of the permanent 5 members of the Security Council which can veto a resolution – articulated reservations about it, as Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s envoy to the UN, said:

singling out aviation, where terrorists (on the ground) would be allowed to do whatever they want, would not be a very attractive proposition … I am not even sure many other Security Council members would like to see a resolution on cessation of hostilities that has no chance of working. If you pass a resolution you expect something to happen

However Jean-Marc Ayrault. The French Foreign Minister, said that any state that opposed to the resolution would be effectively complicit in war crimes.

British Ambassador to the UN, Matthew Rycroft, also supported the resolution even though it “is not going to not end the war. What will end the war is not another piece of paper”

Rather, he said, that

It’s a change of mindset, it’s a change of heart, and it’s a decision, actually, to fulfill every single existing obligation, and if everyone around the Security Council table did that then the war in Syria would be over very rapidly