U.N. Security Council to vote Monday on Syria aid access resolution/Churkin thinks it realistic to pass statement banning oil exports by terrorists in Syria

UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. Security Council will vote Monday on a resolution to allow aid access at four border crossings into rebel-held areas of Syria without government consent, said Western diplomats, who were hopeful Russia and China will support the move.
Australian U.N. Ambassador Gary Quinlan, who drafted the resolution with Luxembourg and Jordan, posted on Twitter that the final version of the text had been circulated to all 15-council members on Friday. Diplomats said the vote would be held on Monday, likely at 12 p.m. (1600 GMT).

The United Nations says some 10.8 million people in Syria need help, of which 4.7 million are in hard-to-reach areas, while another three million have fled the conflict.

A key sticking point with Russia and China has been a threat of further measures against parties that did not comply with this resolution or resolution 2139 adopted in February - measures that also aimed to boost aid access but failed. Further measures could include economic sanctions, diplomats said.

In a bid to appease Russia and China, language was revised to say the council "affirms" rather than "decides" that it will "take further measures in the event of non-compliance with this resolution or resolution 2139 by any Syrian party".

To impose punishments for non-compliance, the Security Council would need to agree on another resolution.

Ahead of a final meeting on Friday between the authors of the resolution and the veto-wielding council members - Russia, China, the United States, Britain and France - Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin described the final obstacles in the text that has been negotiated for more than a month.
"There are things which, in our view, had nothing to do with the humanitarian situation ... but are simply a part of this continued effort by some members of the international community to indicate that they may be prepared to use military force in Syria," Churkin told reporters.
"Even though that may not be their intention currently, we vigilantly keep looking for those situations and we're telling very frankly to our colleagues that we're not going to be a part of it," he said.

The Russian and Chinese U.N. missions were not immediately available for comment on Friday on the final draft resolution.

Western diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted the resolution was not as ambitious as the initial text, which wanted blanket cross-border access. However, they said the four crossings could allow delivery of humanitarian aid to nearly 2 million people.

They had also wanted a Chapter 7 resolution, which covers the council's authority to enforce decisions with economic sanctions or military force, but Russia made clear it would block any such resolution..................http://www.todayonline.com/world/un-security-council-vote-monday-syria-aid-access-resolution?singlepage=true
12/7/14
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• Churkin thinks it realistic to pass statement banning oil exports by terrorists in Syria...

 The United Nations Security Council continues work on Russia-proposed draft statement targeting to fight against illegal oil purchases from terrorists in Syria, Russian Permanent Representative at the United Nations Vitaly Churkin told journalists on Friday.  

He document, he said, had all the chances to be finally adopted. “We are working on it. I think there is a real chance for it to be adopted. I hope for that because it is undisputable that terrorism must not be sponsored. And this is the key element of the document. We know that this is happening in Iraq and Syria,” the Russian diplomat said, adding that the document when passed “will send a very powerful signal” to countries warning them to refrain from taking part in deals that might be considered as financing of terrorist activities.

The draft statement was submitted to the United Nations Security Council at the beginning of the current month. It expresses concern over the seizure of oil fields in Syria by radical groups, including the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and Jabhat al-Nusra, and underscores that any export or import of oil without a permit from a sovereign state is illegal. The document warns that involvement in such deals will be qualified as financing terrorist organizations, which is fraught with putting on the United Nations Security Council’s blacklist which entails sanctions.

A statement by the United Nations Security Council chair [Rwanda took over presidency in July 2014] is second important document after a resolution and requires consent from all the 15 member state of the United Nations Security Council. In March, the Security Council took similar measures in respect of Libya, which provided for sanctions against vessels used to ship oil from regions controlled by extremists.
http://en.itar-tass.com/world/740214
12/7/14
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Related:

• Russia to veto UNSC resolution mentioning Chapter 7 of UN Charter. (It is essential to interact with the Syrian government)

• Russia will veto a draft resolution at the UN Security Council if it makes specific reference to the possibility of imposing sanctions and using force against Syria....