UN General Assembly to vote on Syria resolution, diplomats say

Feb 15, 2012, 5:20 GMT

New York - The UN General Assembly was to vote this week on a resolution condemning the violent repression of opposition in Syria, a diplomat said.

The assembly was expected to convene Thursday or Friday, a diplomatic source said late Tuesday. Its vote would follow the failure of the UN Security Council to pass a similar resolution February 4 because of vetoes by Russia and China.

The General Assembly can issue condemnatory resolutions, but sanctions can only be approved by the Security Council.

A draft resolution has been drawn up by Saudi Arabia, calling for Damascus to begin a political transition to a multiparty, democratic system that would meet popular demands for freedoms.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was to discuss the Syrian situation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Thursday in Vienna, Israeli Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom said in New York late Tuesday after meeting with Ban.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, speaking in Berlin ahead of talks Tuesday with Arab League head Nabil al-Arabi, said the European Union would impose new sanctions on Syria to support the organization's efforts to end 11 months of bloodshed.

'The league has a firm stance,' Merkel said. 'The European Union supports this stance, and we will reinforce you [by imposing] additional sanctions as well.' She gave no further details.

Western powers and the Arab League have been looking at new measures to stop the escalating violence after the failure of the Security Council resolution, which would have called on al-Assad to hand over power to his deputy.

The Syrian army has intensified its assault on Homs since the February 4 veto, besieging the central city and shelling the Baba Amr neighbourhood, the centre of anti-regime protests, on a daily basis.

Activists said the shelling killed at least 30 people Tuesday in Baba Amr and about 100,000 people were unable to flee because of the heavy bombardment.

'People are trapped without food, fuel, electricity and medical supplies,' activist Omar Homsi said by phone from Homs. 'They are shelling any car that tries to leave the area.'

An estimated 8,000 civilians and soldiers have died since the uprising started in March.

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