On
Syria, France
"Not Sure When
or If
Ministerial
Meeting" of
UNSC
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
August 1 -- As
France takes
over
Presidency of
the UN
Security
Council today
for the first
time in 15
months, the
gap
between what
it says in
Europe and in
New York comes
again to the
fore.
On
July 30 in
London,
President
Francois
Hollande said
France would
push
for a meeting
on Syria "as
soon as
possible" once
it
assumes
presidency of
the Council on
August 1.
Foreign
Minister
Laurent Fabius
echoed the
claims.
But
on August 1 in
front of the
Security
Council
chamber Inner
City Press
interviewed
Ambassadors
who came for
the customary
bilateral
meetings
with the
French
presidency on
the month's
Program of
Work; the word
was that
French is "not
sure when or
even whether
it will hold a
ministerial
meeting on
Syria."
(Inner
City Press last week
obtained
France's draft
Program of
Work and put
it online,
here.
One change:
the meeting on
the UN's Syria
mission is
moved up one
day to August
15 -- "to
avoid weekend
work." Also:
no outcome for
the Mali
meeting.)
Rather,
the
lead is being
taken by Saudi
Arabia, which
beyond arming
the
opposition has
on July 31 and
August 1 held
meetings with
member
states about
its draft
resolution on
Syria. At 10,
11 and 12 on
August 1,
Saudi Arabia
scheduled
briefings for
the Western
European
and Others
States Group,
the Asia
Pacific Group,
and the Group
of
Latin American
and Caribbean
States.
This
stands in
contrast to
the African
Group, which
on July 31
received a
briefing from
Syrian
Permanent
Representative
Bashar
Ja'afari.
After
Inner City
Press mentioned
this meeting
in its July 31
analysis the
Saudi
resolution,
it was told
that Egypt too
addressed the
African
Group, and added it to
the piece.
Now a
participant
notes that
Egypt
just spoke as
a member; only
Syria can a
briefing. But
why is the
format for the
other groups
so different?
And if Syria,
a member of
the Asia
Pacific Group,
speaks there,
is that
considered a
briefing?
Watch this
site.
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