we look forward in the same spirit to your counsel toil adopt a positive position by supporting the arab initiative on the syrian crisis. let me recall here that in the past i came to you with a solution to the lebanese crisis that did justice to the occupied lebanese land. they embarked in the lebanese process and today we come to the council asking that you assume your responsibilities under the charter of the united nations to address the tragedy that is unfolding in syria by adopting a clear resolution and supporting the latest initiative adopted in a resolution of the league of council. in cairo on 22nd january, 2012. to which i earlier refrd, we called on the council to under take all measures.

specifically economic resolutions and travel to syria. we are not calling for intervention. we are advocating the adoption of economic pressure to understand that it cannot avoid the demand of its people. we are not after a regime change because this is a matter that the syrian people should decide. the continuation of the current situation is a threat to the entire region. it might lead to serious repercussions unless we remedy the situation in a serious manner. we at the league made efforts to find a solution to the crisis and hope that the regime would be wise enough to realize that the approach to governance has been obsolete. consequently and since the syrian regime continued adopting an approach that lies in the

approach and that of the international community, we could not help be resort to a rational solution to the crisis in the plan that they presented. they hope that they might gain your support. this is why we hope to do justice and the syrian people, their aspirations to freedom and establishing good governance. they want to adopt the sponsors and the syrian regime. that might have serious consequences for peace and security in syria and the whole region. thank you. >> thank you, minster for his briefing. i will give the floor to his excellency. you have the floor, sir.

>> thank you, mr. president. allow me, sir to thank you and the members of the security council for your invitation for me to participate in the important meeting. mr. president, the security council convenes today at a time when events in syria are spiraling dangerously. this requires that international efforts be converted with the efforts for a rapid and decisive action. first to ensure immediate cessation of violence in protection of the syrian people and secondly to begin as soon as possible the implementation of the road map for a peaceful political solution of the

grinding crisis that realizes the aspirations for change and reform, a move to a peaceful democratic life where the syrian people in all segments enjoys dignity as called upon by every arab country. the situation is ever more grave and urgent in light of the security and syria wngsed in the past few days. the acts of violence and the firing and counter shelling and firing that has felled many innocent civilians following the syrian clear resort to an escalation of the security option in full. contradiction with the commitments that it took upon in the arab plan as well as the protocol signed by the syrian

arab republic and league of arab states on the mandate of the observer mission of the league in syria. we therefore believe that the first priority now is for the security council to adopt a resolution demanding that all parties immediately ceasefire protect syrians and support the arab plan towards peaceful political settlement of the prisz. today's meeting has been convened in limp emtilation of article 52. of the united nations and i quote in english, in carriage the development of pacific settlement of local dispute through such regions either on the initiative of the states concerned or referenced from the security council. >> translator: it is in this

context that the league of arab states have come to the security council. i would like to thank you for having so quickly responded to the request from the league of arab states to inform your council on the out lines of the arab demand. the issue has been put forward in detail by his excellency, the prime minister of qatar and i shall attempt to be brief. the latest decision taken by the league was on january 22nd on a road map for a peaceful settlement of the syrian crisis. i should like before taking up the details of our initiative to stress the fundamental principals of the arabs. the fundamental objective is an immediate cessation of all acts of violence and killing against syrian civilians as well as the

realization of the aspirations and demands of the syrian people. demands for economic, social and political change and a move towards a correct political life in true democracy where all rights are maintained as well as the peaceful power. arab states aimed at taking up the syrian crisis in an arab context. we are attempting to avoid any foreign intervention. particularly military intervention. three, the arab endeavor proceeds from the need for political settlement and as i stated, a rejection of any military or foreign intervention. four, all the resolutions of the league of arab states and all the leagues, resolutions have always stressed, full respect of

the security sovereignty, territorial integrity and the unity of the syrian people. we therefore have the objective for the security council to support our initiative, not to take its place. this is the mechanism for the settlement on the crisis with international support and the agreement from the security council. mr. president, in its approach to taking up the syrian crisis, we have taken up two pillars. one is immediate action for an immediate full cessation of all acts of violence and killing against the syrian people while at the same time maintaining the right of the syrian people to expression by a peaceful demonstration and the syrian forces not to confront the

demonstrations. second, a road map leading to a peaceful political settlement of the crisis through a national dialogue that includes all parties. all sects, all currents and all segments of society in order to achieve and realize the syrian people for a life of true democracy. in fulfilling that endeavor, since yell 2011 took several moves and put forward a number of initiatives to the leadership and the most important being on the 27th of august of last year and mandated by the council of the league i handed that proposal to the syrian leadership in there after a ministerial arab committee mandated again by the league.

they met with the leadership last year. based on that initiative and contacts, the arab action plan to shape the syrian government promised to limp emt it and that was on november 2nd of last year. the plan includes and i quote, first, the syrian government is to put an end to all acts of violence from whatever source to protect the syrian government to the release of detainees you earned and because of the current events. withdrawal of all elements from all cities and urban centers for opening the door to all institutions of the league as well as the international media to move freely and they have facts on the ground and monitor such events.

the commitments and the ministerial committee of the arab league and the consultations with the government and all parties of the syrian opposition in order to hold a national and two weeks following that date,ent of quote. in order to ascertain implementation of the syrian government and the commitments according to the plan, the league drew up a protocol that represents the legal context for the observer mission. observers were dispatched from all arab states and institutions. it gone to deploy in syria starting on december 24th of last year. it continued to deploy to all areas where demonstrations were based in syria.

the head of the mission presented his first technical feel good reports. the team reached damascus and january of this year. this was the report that was conveyed to the general of the united nations and the 22nd of this month to inform him of the situation. the corporation to the organizations and the council of the league and the reports that indeed taken on by the syrian government. prot gress was incomplete and insufficient. it was not what was required or indeed what was wanted. the resolutions of the league, the protocol speak of immediate

complete cessation of the act of violence and the release of detainees and the withdrawal from all elements f opening the media without hindrance. i would like to take up fundamental points in the report. in order to put correct political context. one, the syrian government ought to have and sauf all the condominiums before the arrival of the monitors so that the mission would verify such implementation. however since it did not fully implement commitments, the task of the team underground had to change. the team sought to demand immediate implementation from the syrian government.

it also sought to confront some humanitarian situations. painful situations. situations that could not be ignored even though they fell outside the team's mandate. they brought some food to some areas and they recorded the testimony of citizens on some violations of human rights committed against them or indeed helped in the exchange of bodies of the fallen. two, the report covers a limited short period of time. the report does note take up the previous nine months before the arrival of the team in syria and the events that had been taking place ever since march 15th of last year until the 24th of december of last year before they arrived. during that period, many events

took place and many violations took place. the team could not take up, that was outside their mandate. this was not required from the mission. this must always be taken into consideration when assessing and evaluating the performance of the team. three, the task of the mission was specific. indeed very difficult and complicated. never in the past has the prime minister stated, never in the past was a team of civilian observers dispatched to a state facing escalating civilian demonstrations calling for the change and for a regime. they were dispatched to ascertain the government was implementing the commitments to cease violence and killing

withdrawal elements from cities and urban centers at the same time. it must be clearly stated that the mandate of the mission was to ascertain implementation by the syrian government of the commitments and not to reach the engagements and the truce between war and parties which is usually the case when monitors or meigs are dispatched by the missions to any conflict areas and the world. the most important item in the missions report is an excessive use of force by the security forces of syria since last march which led to a reaction by demonstrating citizens or opposition elements, paragraphs 71 and 74 from the report stated

that there is a situation of explosive tension, oppression and injustice with syrian citizens. the opposition then resorted to bearing arms of the excessive use of force by the government forces since last march. this is a direct quote from the report. despite the presence of observers on the ground, this did not lead to an immediate and full respect by syrian forces. despite some positive elements. the syrian people was allowed from the freedom in expressing demands. many members of the populous found a direct mem nichl to express their own positions.

the mission was able to record much about the human writer situation. they were able to obtain major lists of detainees and missing persons through many contacts between the people and the mission either in direct contacts or through the set up by the league for this purpose. in light of the conclusions of the mission's report, and in studying the developments on the grounds in syria since the league began to deal with the crisis and in in endeavors to reach a settlement to the syrian crisis without foreign intervention and without falling into a civil war while respecting the independence, sovereignty and integrity of syria, the resolution of the league's ministerial council was adopted on the 22nd of this

month and stressed the following. a need for full cessation of acts of violence and killing from whatever source in order to protect citizens and calling on the syrian government to release detainees and to withdraw all armed elements from cities and urban centers, opening the way to arab and international media and the army and any other armed forces of whatever formation to the original positions and ensuring the right to peaceful demonstration and not confronting the demonstrators and allowing for facilitating the mission's task and its equipment. particularly the communication equipment. a call to the government and all parties in the opposition to begin a serious dialogue under the league of arab states. no later than two weeks from the call in order to achieve the

following. one, the establishment of a national two months hence where the authorities and the opposition and the heardship of an agreed person would take up the items of the league's plan, the preparation of parliamentary elections as well as presidential, multiparty preelections in accordance to a law governing its procedures. i should like to stress that the roadmap adopted on the 22nd of this this month can in no way be interpreted as calling on the syrian president to renounce power. there is a precedent. when i visited at damascus on the 16th of july last year and in a conversation with the president of the republic on

need for a true political dialogue, the president said, i will go to my first deputy and entrust him with the fundamental reforms that are necessary. he will supervise these political reforms. this is very similar to the call of the league of arab states as of now. upon its formation, the national unity government would declare that its objective is to set up a political democratic multi-party system and ensuring equality among all citizens regardless of greed, sector or faith, creed, sector or faith and assuring at nation of power and a national government would re-establish security and stability in the country and would reform the police forces to take up civilian duties with

financing from arab states that are committed to coordinate with the league of arab states, setting up an independent body to investigate in the violations meeted to citizens. the national unity government would organize a constituent assembly to be transparent, fair and arab and international oversight through three months from the creation of the national unity government. mr. president -- in informing the security council of all these developments i should like to inform you that immediately before coming to new york, i was compelled to take an urgent measure in suspending the work of the arab observers in syria because of the grave deterioration of the situation in the country lately after the

syrian government openly declared that it is taking the security option. this led to the withdrawal of some observers until i take the matter to the league's council in a few days. as you see from the brief reports on the arab crisis, the league has always endeavored to find a peaceful political settlement to the syrian crisis that spares the lives of the syrian people and realizes its demands and aspirations. furthermore, the league fully realizes that the support and of the international community of the aarab plan as being the only mechanism to resolve the syrian crisis is a fundamental aexpect for its success and for achie achieving these objectives. there, mr. president, allow me to repeat that the league of

arab states looks forward to supporting resolution from your security council, one that calls on all parties to immediately cease all acts of violence against the syrian people. one that calls on all parties to a serious national dialogue under the league of arab states and that takes up the arab endeavor as a basis for resolving the crisis, and one that supports the mission of the league when it resumes. it is also my duty, as secretary general of the league, to stress the importance of speedy cooperation between the united nations and relevant international institutions with the league in order to alleviate deteriorating humanitarian conditions of the syrian people. in conclusion, mr. president, allow me once again to thank the security council for having responded ed tso quickly of ou request as well as your support

of the arab endeavor. i'm hopeful this support will give strong momentum to the league's efforts, and will be a model of positive interaction between the united nations and regional organizations. mr. president, do not let the syrian people down in its plight. violence and killing must be put to an end. we need a clear resolution supporting the arab league's endeavor. and i would seek your support of the draft resolution, thank you, sir. >> i now give floor to the representative of the syrian arab republic.

>> translator: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, i, too, will speak in arabic. and it is my honor to do so. mr. president, i said imagined i did not say he predicted an arab poet known to all arabs. and read by all arabs by the name of nezar cabanni. he imagined the scenario and the session years before his death in a very famous poem that starts as follows -- damascus, the treasure of my dreams. shall i bemoan to you arabism or should i bemoan my fellow arabs

to you? mr. president, my generation and myself, remember very well in the '50s and early '60s, that we used to be in grade school at the time in syrian schools and we used to sing to the anthem of t the al jeerian national anthem and we gave our few pennies, pocket money, that has a word in syrian dialect, that we used to donate this pocket money to arab liberation movements in the gulf

that used to be struggling to be liberated from british colonialism. we, the children, used to happily donate our pocket money, little as it were, to assist our brothers in the gulf so that they would be liberated from the grip of colonialism. this was way before the oil boom. at the time arabism was different from the way to which some view arabism today. mr. president, allow me to begin by expressing our appreciation to south africa and to you

personally for wisely presiding over the work of the security council for the month. we would like to use this opportunity to stress, once again, the pride we feel for the victory of your people and peoples of africa, over thedisc apartheid and to question the positions of some states lip sed human rights. we ask them -- with whom did they stand during your struggle that was crowned with success and victory? mr. president, syria is going through decisive challenges in its history. we want this stage to be through the will of our people, not through the will of anyone else to be that point of rm