The deal, hammered out by the U.S. and Russia, includes enforcement language but is not explicit on military action or other penalties if Bashar al-Assad fails to comply. The Security Council will vote as early as Friday.
The United States and Russia–with help from France–negotiated a deal that would compel Syria to hand over its chemical weapons. The measure goes to the full U.N. Security Council for a vote.
The deal includes enforcement language–”Chapter VII authority”– but is not explicit on military action or other automatic penalties if Syria does not comply.
Chapter VII authority refers to a UN provision giving member countries the right to take military and nonmilitary action to confront threats to peace and security.
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power confirmed the resolution on Twitter.
Agreement reached w/Russia on UNSC Resolution legally obligating #Syria to give up CW they used on their people. Going to full UNSC tonight.— Samantha Power (@AmbassadorPower) September 26, 2013
She also tweeted:
The draft UNSCR establishes that #Syria‘s use of CW is threat to international peace & security & creates a new norm against the use of CW.— Samantha Power (@AmbassadorPower) September 26, 2013
“This is historic and unprecedented because it puts oversight of the Assad regime’s compliance under international control and it’s the first UNSCR to declare that the use of chemical weapons is a threat to peace and security ” said a senior State Department official, NBC News reported. ”Equally as important, it makes absolutely clear that failure of the Assad regime to comply will have consequences.”
The goal is to have chemical weapons out of Syria by the middle of next year.