11 Jul 2012

GENEVA & NY / SYRIA ANNAN

Special envoy Kofi Annan briefed the Security Council on the latest developments in the Syrian crisis, and later commented at a press conference. UNTV / CH UNTV

Posted at: July 11, 2012 5:45 pm

Duration: 03:12

Available in: SD

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STORY: GENEVA & NY / SYRIA ANNAN
TRT:  3:12
SOURCE: CH UNTV / UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE 11 JULY 2012, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

SHOTLIST:

FILE – CH UNTV – 2011, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

1. Wide shot, exterior Palais des Nations

CH UNTV - 11 JULY 2012, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

2. Med shot, Kofi Annan and spokesman Ahmad Fawzi arrive at press briefing
3. Cutaway, journalists at stakeout
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Kofi Annan, United Nations and Arab League Joint Special Envoy for the Crisis in Syria:
"The operating vehicle, tool, is the six-point plan, which is endorsed by the Security Council in resolutions 2042 and 2043.  That frames everything.  Within that framework, the discussion we had was to take action at those locations where one has such horrific violence that you can't get in humanitarian assistance, people who are trapped couldn't get out, and work out ceasefire arrangements at these localities with possibly the help of UNSMIS."
5. Cutaway, journalists
6.  SOUNDBITE (English) Kofi Annan, United Nations and Arab League Joint Special Envoy for the Crisis in Syria:
"In both Iran and Iraq the governments committed to supporting the six point plan. They supported the idea of political transition which would be Syrian led and allow the Syrians to decide what their future political dispensation would be."
7. Cutaway, journalist
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Kofi Annan, United Nations and Arab League Joint Special Envoy for the Crisis in Syria:
"We have so far not succeeded in ending the violence and moving forward and it's still the fact today."

FILE – UNTV – 2011, UNITED NATIONAS HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK CITY

9. Wide shot, United Nations Headquarters

UNTV – 11 JULY 2012, NEW YORK CITY

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Ambassador Susan Rice, Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations:
"The fact is that UNSMIS regrettably is not at present able to do the job that this Council mandated it to do because of the regime's persistent refusal to take the basic steps to halt the violence."
11. Cutaway, journalist taking notes
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Ambassador Susan Rice, Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations:
"Iran is definitively part of the problem in Syria. It is supporting, aiding and abetting the Assad regime materially and in many other ways and it has shown no readiness to contribute constructively."
13. Cutaway, journalists
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Ambassador Alexander Pankin, First Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations:
"When preparing for the Geneva meeting on the 30th [of June] we were advocating for bringing in all influential players, including neighbours of Syria to Geneva and Iran was mentioned and Saudi Arabia was mentioned. Iran has a role. It is playing a role and ignoring Iran or just dismissing Iran on some political basis is not very wise thing to do."
15. Cutaway, journalist taking notes
16.SOUNDBITE (English) Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari, Permanent Representative of the Syrian Republic to the United Nations:
"Without putting an end to funding and arming of the armed groups in Syria it will be very difficult to see the plan of Mr. Kofi Anna succeeding on the spot. With the Syrian's Government commitment only as supportive of this plan."

STORYLINE

Kofi Annan said today (11 July) that the United Nations (UN) Security Council was discussing the next steps for Syria and a decision was expected within the next few days.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva after briefing the Council via videoconference, Annan reported on his recent meeting with President Assad in Damascus. He said they had discussed taking action in specific locations where the "horrific violence" made it impossible to reach people with humanitarian assistance and, with the help of the UN peacekeeping mission, UNSMIS, to work out a ceasefire for those areas. But he noted "that does not free anybody" from the broader obligation of the ceasefire as indicated in his six-point plan.

Annan said the government of Iran and Iraq had both confirmed their support for the six-point peace plan as well as for a political transition in Syria during his recent meetings with them in the region.  They would use their influence with both the government and the opposition.

Asked by a journalist whether the six-point plan was indeed a failure, Annan said "we have so far not succeeded in ending the violence and moving forward" but he had urged all governments to support one mediation effort.

Meanwhile in New York, ambassadors also spoke to the press after Annan's briefing ended.

United States Ambassador Susan Rice told journalists that the UN mission in Syria (UNSMIS), "regrettably is not at present able to do the job that this Council mandated it to do."

She also said Iran was "definitively part of the problem in Syria".

Russia's Deputy UN Ambassador Alexander Pankin said "just dismissing Iran on some political basis is not very wise thing to do".

Syrian Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari stressed that without putting an end to the funding and arming of the armed groups in Syria it would be "very difficult to see the plan of Mr. Kofi Anna succeeding on the spot".