← Votes

A/RES/66/253A GA

The situation in the Syrian Arab Republic

66
Session
137
Yes
12
No
17
Abstentions
Draft symbol A/66/L.36
Adopted symbol A/RES/66/253A
Category POLITICAL AND LEGAL QUESTIONS
Sponsors (1)
P5 Positions
Russia ✗ United States ✓ United Kingdom ✓ China ✗ France ✓
UN Document A/RES/66/253A ↗

Vote Recorded Vote — A/66/PV.97 Feb. 16, 2012

— Abstain (17)
✗ No (12)
Absent (27)
✓ Yes (137)
Speeches following this vote (19) may include explanations of vote
The Acting President
I shall now call on those representatives who wish to speak in explanation of vote on the resolution just adopted. May I remind delegations that explanations of vote are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats.
Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation)
In order to resolve the Syrian crisis, there is a need to uphold two principles to which no one seems to object. The violence must be stopped by all sides, and the necessary solutions can be found only through an inclusive, Syrian-led political process. Resolution 66/253, “The situation in the Syrian Arab Republic”, submitted by the Group of Arab States today, does not meet these criteria. To a …
Mr. Wang Min (China)
The Chinese Government consistently pursues an independent foreign policy of peace and is committed to upholding regional and world peace and stability. China has followed closely developments in the situation in Syria and is deeply worried about the escalating crisis there, which has caused civilian casualties and affected peace and stability in the Middle East. We condemn all acts of violence …
Mr. Milanović (Serbia)
The Republic of Serbia voted in favor of resolution 66/253. We believe that all international efforts should be inspired solely by the desire to put an end to the suffering of the people of Syria. We appreciate and respect the efforts made by the League of Arab States and the Group of Arab States. We would have wished to see the proposals and amendments offered by some countries considered and e…
Mr. Haroon (Pakistan)
Pakistan has acceded to the collective wisdom of our brothers in the Arab world and voted in favour of resolution 66/253. We share the concerns of the international community on the situation in Syria. Continued violence and bloodshed cannot be condoned. We strongly condemn the use of force against peaceful protestors and the human rights violations committed by all sides. We feel that all effor…
Mr. Weisleder (Costa Rica)
Costa Rica expresses its deepest concern over the grave, repeated and massive violations of human rights in Syria, in particular the deaths and suffering of thousands of civilians and others protected under international law, and the growing dangers faced by the people of that country. The international community cannot remain silent in the face of the violations described by the commission of in…
Mr. Sergeyev (Ukraine)
Ukraine voted in favour of resolution 66/253. The position of the delegation of Ukraine on the resolution presented by the Group of Arab States is a continuation of our stance on the relevant resolution (A/C.3/66/L.57/Rev.1) adopted last November by a large majority in the Third Committee. We proceed from the reality that countries of the region that are striving for peace and want to bring an e…
Mr. Khazaee (Islamic Republic of Iran)
My delegation voted against resolution 66/253, in line with our principled position that addressing the legitimate demands of the people through a peaceful and domestically led political process and free from foreign intervention is the only way out of a crisis. In the case of Syria, any attempt to interfere in Syrian internal affairs would only lead to the deepening of a political and social cr…
Mr. Archondo (Plurinational State of Bolivia)
The delegation of the Plurinational State of Bolivia also voted against resolution 66/253 that the General Assembly has just adopted. That is why we would like to take this opportunity to explain the reasons for our decision. We would like to begin by first asking what is happening is Syria. Is there an embryonic civil war? Or perhaps it is an armed crushing of a civil uprising or maybe a clash …
Mr. Estreme (Argentina)
Argentina voted in favour of resolution 66/253 and would like to point out the following issues relating to how this matter was handled. First, it is of the utmost importance to make every possible effort to guarantee comprehensive, unrestricted respect for human rights in Syria. The Syrian Government is responsible for complying with that exigency. Secondly, it is necessary to preserve the rig…
Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri (India)
Since the beginning of the crisis in Syria in March last year, India has been concerned about its implications within and outside Syria. We have been mindful of the important role that the Syrian Arab Republic has historically played in the Middle East. We think that prolonged instability and unrest in Syria have serious implications for peace and stability in the wider region. We have therefore,…
Mr. Chua (Singapore)
Singapore voted in favour of resolution 66/253 because it is clearly not a politically motivated country-specific human rights resolution of the type that is too common in the Third Committee. By contrast, the resolution clearly deals with a unique and extraordinary emergency. Singapore calls on the Government of Syria to immediately cease all violence against its own citizens. We call upon the …
Mr. Le Hoai Trung (Viet Nam)
Viet Nam has been closely following developments in Syria, and we are particularly concerned by reports of increasing violence, instability and loss of public order, which seriously affect the right of the Syrian people. We join in the international community’s call on all parties concerned in Syria to exercise self-restraint, end the violence and find a political solution through constructive di…
Mr. Errázuriz (Chile)
Chile voted in favour of resolution 66/253. The General Assembly has raised its voice to resoundingly condemn the systematic and massive violations of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic, such as the use of force against civilians; arbitrary executions; assassinations; the persecution of protestors, human rights activists and journalists; arbitrary detentions; forced disappearances; torture;…
Mr. Momen (Bangladesh)
The delegation of Bangladesh voted in favour of resolution 66/253, entitled “Situation in the Syrian Arab Republic”. Bangladesh maintains a principled position of generally abstaining on human rights resolutions calling for action against any State Member of the United Nations. However, we voted in favour as an exception in order to end the bloodshed and misery of the Syrian people. We must ment…
The Acting President
We have heard the last speaker in explanation of vote. I now give the floor to the representative of Egypt.
Mr. Mahmoud (Egypt)
The international community has clearly expressed its opinion and its message has been conveyed to everybody. The Arab Group and all 72 sponsors of resolution 66/253 were bolstered in their resolve by the large number of sponsors. The resolution, which reaffirms the need for a peaceful solution to the crisis as part of the League of Arab States initiative, enjoyed significant and overwhelming sup…
The Acting President
I give the floor to the representative of the Syrian Arab Republic.
The Acting President
The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 34.
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