Ribal Al-Assad welcomes UN Secretary General's call for end to the flow of arms to both sides and a Syrian led transition

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

General Assembly

25 September 2012

www.un.org

Address to the 67th General Assembly general debate

(Extract)

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The situation in Syria grows worse by the day.

The crisis is no longer limited to Syria; it is a regional calamity with global ramifications.

This is a serious and growing threat to international peace and security which requires Security Council action.

I call on the international community – especially the members of the Security Council and countries in the region – to solidly and concretely support the efforts of Joint Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi.

We must stop the violence and flows of arms to both sides, and set in motion a Syrian-led transition as soon as possible.

Humanitarian needs are escalating, in and beyond Syria.

The international community should not look the other way as violence spirals out of control. Brutal human rights abuses continue to be committted, mainly by the Government, but also by opposition groups.

Such crimes must not go unpunished. There is no statute of limitations for such extreme violence.

It is the duty of our generation to put an end to impunity for international crimes, in Syria and elsewhere.

It is our duty to give tangible meaning to the responsibility to protect.

Commenting on the Story, Ribal Al-Assad, Director of the ODFS, said:

"I welcome Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's comments on the Syrian conflict. It is a regional calamity with global ramifications. Therefore it is vital that the international community acts to stop the violence and flows of arms to both sides and helps to set in motion a Syrian led process.

"All the parties- the regime, the opposition and their outside backers must act in good faith and support diplomacy to bring about a peaceful end to the crisis. This is the only way to start a political process leading to a peaceful inclusive democratic transition to a national unity government and democracy and freedom.

"I call on all the Syrian opposition to unite onto one platform and work together for a peaceful solution."