24 Sep 2012

UN / SYRIA

The joint UN and Arab League envoy forSyria, Lakhdar Brahimi today (24 September) raised the prospect of finding "an opening in the not too distant future" towards a political solution of the conflict inSyria. UNTV / UNSMIS

Posted at: September 24, 2012 3:26 pm

Duration: 03:14

Available in: SD

DOWNLOAD

Full script

STORY: UN / SYRIA
TRT: 3.14
SOURCE: UNTV / UNSMIS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / FRENCH / GERMAN / NATS

DATELINE: 24 SEPTEMBER 2012, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE – UNTV – 2011, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

UNTV – 24 SEPTEMBER 2012, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, German Ambassador Peter Wittig and UN-Arab League Special Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi at stakeout

FILE – UNTV – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

3. Cutaway, hands taking notes

UNTV – 24 SEPTEMBER 2012, NEW YORK CITY

4. SOUNDBITE (French) Lakhdar Brahimi, Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the Arab League for the Syrian Conflict:
"I think there is no disagreement on the fact that the situation in Syria is extremely serious and getting worse every day. This situation is not only a danger for the people of Syria, it constitutes a danger for the entire region and international peace."

FILE – UNTV – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

5. Cutaway, hands taking notes

UNTV – 24 SEPTEMBER 2012, NEW YORK CITY

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Lakhdar Brahimi, Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the Arab League for the Syrian Conflict:
"There is a stalemate. There is no prospect for today and tomorrow to move forward. But I also told the council that paradoxically, now that I have found out a little bit more about what is happening in the country and the region. I think that we will find an opening in the not too distant future. I refuse to believe that reasonable people do not see that you cannot go backward, that you cannot go back to the Syria of the past. But I think I told everybody, in Damascus and elsewhere, that reform is not enough anymore. What is needed is change."

FILE – UNTV – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

7. Cutaway, hands taking notes

UNTV – 24 SEPTEMBER 2012, NEW YORK CITY

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Lakhdar Brahimi, Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the Arab League for the Syrian Conflict:
"Yes I do see some signs of that. I know that the attempts have been disappointing until now, I'm sure they will not mind me saying so, and I think their friends also are encouraging them to do better."
9. Wide shot, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle walking up to the microphone

FILE – UNTV – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

10. Cutaway, cameras

UNTV – 24 SEPTEMBER 2012, NEW YORK CITY

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Guido Westerwelle, German Foreign Minister:
"If we want to promote this process of erosion in the regime of Assad, it is necessary that the people that live in this country see that they have a perspective in their country, and this includes pluralistic structures, this includes religious and ethnic tolerance."

FILE – UNTV – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

12. Cutaway, hands taking notes

UNTV – 24 SEPTEMBER 2012, NEW YORK CITY

13. SOUNDBITE (German) Guido Westerwelle, German Foreign Minister
"Under no circumstances may we give up. If we give up, we give up on the people. We all know how difficult the situation is. And I don't expect any great breakthrough this week. But we will definitely not give up, we owe that to the people."

FILE – UNSMIS – 15 SEPTEMBER 2012, DAMASCUS, SYRIA

11. Various shots, Brahimi meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

STORYLINE:

The joint UN and Arab League envoy for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi today (24 September) raised the prospect of finding "an opening in the not too distant future" towards a political solution of the conflict in Syria.

Brahimi was speaking to reporters at UN headquarters after briefing the Security Council on his recent trip to the Syrian capital, Damascus, and the Middle East region.

He said everyone agreed the situation in Syria was "extremely serious and getting worse every day", and characterized it as a "danger for the entire region and international peace".

Brahimi said he had found a "stalemate", with "no prospect for today and tomorrow to move forward" on a political solution to the crisis.

At this point, he did not yet have "a full plan" to replace the six-point peace plan put forward by the previous envoy for Syria, Kofi Annan. However, he did have "some ideas" and would return to the region to shortly to expand upon these, and thought "that we will find an opening in the not too distant future".

Brahimi said "I refuse to believe that reasonable people do not see that you cannot go backward, that you cannot go back to the Syria of the past", adding that "reform is not enough anymore. What is needed is change."

Asked whether the Syrian opposition really was becoming more united, he said "Yes I do see some signs of that".

Earlier today, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle underscored the need for a united opposition as he briefed reporters outside the Security Council. Speaking in his national capacity, he said "if we want to promote this process of erosion in the regime of Assad", the opposition also offer Syrians a perspective of pluralistic structures as well as religious and ethnic tolerance.

Westerwelle said efforts towards a political solution would continue despite the difficulties. Syria is expected to dominate the UN General Assembly debate beginning tomorrow, as well as the bi-laterals of more than 120 heads of state and government expected at UN headquarters during the coming week.

"I don't expect any great breakthrough this week. But we will definitely not give up", the German Foreign Minister said. Germany holds the rotating Presidency of the Security Council for the month of September.

More than 18,000 people, mostly civilians, have died since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011. In addition, more than 260,000 Syrians have fled to neighbouring countries and an estimated 2.5 million are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

During his trip to Damascus last week, the Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of Arab States on the Syrian crisis Brahimi met with President Bashar al-Assad to discuss the escalating crisis. He then visited refugee camps in Turkey and Jordan, where he gained first-hand accounts of the struggles facing those who fled the conflict in their homeland.

Earlier this month, Brahimi assumed the peace-facilitation role, which had been carried out since February by former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, with the aim of bringing an end to all violence and human rights violations in Syria, and promoting a peaceful solution to the conflict.

Filed under SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC.