Syria/United Nations Security Council

President Sarkozy strongly deplores the fact that, due to the vote of two permanent members and despite the support of the other 13 members, the Security Council has, for a second time, been unable to speak out on the situation in Syria.

Since March 2011, the Damascus regime has addressed the Syrian people’s legitimate aspiration for democracy only through a fierce crackdown and unfulfilled promises.

The Syrian tragedy must end. The massive use of armed force against civilians, the widespread recourse to torture and the violence against hundreds of children are appalling. Those who order such crimes against humanity, commit them or allow them to be committed will have to answer for it. The states preventing the Security Council from condemning these acts are encouraging the Syrian regime to carry on with its cruel, doomed policy.

On 22 January the Arab League, shouldering its responsibilities, adopted a plan which could allow the violence to be ended, the Syrian people to be given a voice through elections and President Bashar al-Assad to step aside, whilst preserving the state’s structures to prevent the country from sliding into civil war.

It is this sensible plan which 13 of the 15 Security Council members wanted to support. France is not giving up. She is consulting her European and Arab partners in order to create a “friends of the Syrian people group”, whose aim will be to get the international community to wholeheartedly support the implementation of the Arab League initiative./.