Fri, April 13, 2012
UNITED NATIONS, April 13 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Friday is considering a draft resolution which would authorize the deployment of an advance team of up to 30 unarmed military observers to monitor a truce between Syrian government forces and armed opposition fighters.
The draft resolution, obtained by Xinhua, said, the Security Council "decides to authorize an advance team of up to 30 unarmed military observers to liaise with the parties and to begin to report on the implementation of a full cessation of armed violence in all its forms by all parties."
The draft resolution is likely to be put to vote at the 15- nation Security Council on Friday, diplomats said.
The draft came in response to the request by Kofi Annan, the UN and Arab League joint special envoy for Syria, who has asked the Security Council to quickly authorize the deployment of an advance team of up to 30 unarmed observers to monitor compliance with the truce. If the ceasefire holds, a larger mission with up to 250 members could follow.
The draft called on the Syrian government to "ensure full, unimpeded, and immediate freedom of movement and access throughout Syria for all mission personnel as deemed necessary by the mission to carry out its mandate."
Annan said in a statement issued in Geneva Thursday that he is "encouraged" by reports that the cessation of hostilities in Syria "appears to be holding," urging all Syrians to seize opportunity to implement the agreed six-point peace plan.
Annan had previously stated that once the Syrian government would complete the withdrawal of troops by April 10, all parties should move immediately to cease all forms of violence, so that a complete cessation is in place by April 12.
