The UN Security Council is set to vote on Tuesday on a bid by Western powers to ban the supply of helicopters to the Assad regime and to blacklist Assad regime military commanders over use of toxic gas in attacks on rebel-held areas.
The draft resolution, backed by the United States, France, Britain and others also proposes targeted sanctions – a travel ban and asset freeze – on 11 Assad regime military commanders and officials, as well as on 10 regime and related entities accused of developing and producing chemical weapons and the missiles to deliver them.
The draft resolution expresses “its strong conviction that those individuals responsible for the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic should be thoroughly investigated, and prosecuted, as appropriate, before a competent tribunal which is both independent and impartial and calls for all parties in Syria to cease any use of toxic chemicals as weapons immediately and permanently.”
Moreover, the draft resolution calls upon the Assad regime to comply fully with all its consequent obligations, including, the expeditious resolution of all outstanding issues regarding its initial declaration of its stockpiles of chemical weapons.
If passed, the draft resolution would establish a Committee of the Security Council consisting of all the members of the Council to monitor the implementation of the sanctions set out in the draft resolution; to designate individuals, groups, and entities to be subject to sanctions; and to facilitate the implementation of the measures imposed in the resolution.
The Committee would report within 30 days to the Security Council on its work and every 90 days thereafter. The Committee would also report on the implementation of this resolution with its observations and recommendations.
The draft resolution calls on all states to take the necessary measures to prevent the supply and sale of helicopters or spare parts as well as chlorine and all arms and related material used to weaponize and deliver chemicals by the regime’s armed forces, ministries, agencies, entities and other individuals under the control or authority of the Assad regime. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Agencies)
