Global Geopolitical Series: No diplomatic breakthrough in Syria chemical attack as veto dominates UNSC

Diplomacy seems to be dead and what is left of International diplomacy are threats, sanctions, harsh rhetoric, and military attacks.

As veto dominated the meeting of United Nations’ Security Council called on Tuesday in response to the recent chemical attack in Syria, several draft proposals forwarded by countries like the United States and Russia failed to pass.  According to the latest reports, so far three resolutions have failed to pass as countries continue to veto each other. The latest resolution to fail was a Russian-sponsored draft backing an Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) fact-finding mission at the site of the alleged attack in Douma. The draft received five votes in favor (Russia, China, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan and Bolivia), four votes against (the US, the UK, France and Poland) and six abstentions, falling short of the minimum nine votes required for adoption.

Earlier on the day, the Council rejected two rival drafts on Syria submitted by Russia and the U.S. as Russia, which vetoed the US-sponsored draft, said that it was designed to justify what seems to be an imminent military action against Syria. After which, the Russian envoy to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia argued that the US resolution was an attempt to resurrect the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), whose mandate had expired in November and it would take months to implement. The draft was designed to give the UN Secretary-General 30 days to set up a new investigative body.

The subsequent Russian-sponsored draft failed to gain enough votes, with the US blaming Moscow for trying to influence the composition of the team of experts, as well as the itinerary of the mission.

While opposition parties remain at loggerheads at UNSC, French President Emmanuel Macron indicated a joint response by the U.S., the UK, and France in response to the alleged chemical attack by the Syrian government, which has so far denied any involvement. The action could be a joint military response to Syrian government forces, which are backed by Russia.