Obama statement aligns with NZ Parliament resolution
new-zealand-labour-party
Wed Sep 11 2013 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Obama statement aligns with NZ Parliament resolution
Wednesday, 11 September 2013, 2:35 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
Phil GOFF
Foreign Affairs Spokesperson
11 September 2013 MEDIA STATEMENT
Obama statement aligns with NZ Parliament resolution
“President Obama’s decision to postpone seeking Congressional support for a military strike against Syria is welcome”, says Labour’s Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Phil Goff.
“What is now required is for all members of the UN Security Council to work together in good faith to achieve a UN supervised collection and destruction of chemical weapons in Syria to prevent their future use.
“That is precisely what New Zealand’s Parliamentarians called for in unanimously supporting my motion in Parliament on 3 September.
“It is an approach which makes far more sense than a military strike. A strike could kill further thousands of civilians through the release of poison gas. A military attack could also result in the loss of control over the stockpiles of chemical weapons and even greater risk of their use.
“The permanent members of the Security Council and 184 other countries, representing 98 per cent of the world, have signed and ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention. All have an obligation and a vested interest in these illegal weapons being safely disposed of.
“It will need a strong and determined effort from all countries to achieve this outcome. Achieving this in Syria’s current environment will be hugely difficult. The process will also need to be verifiable. However, this is the best option available to the international community.
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“We also need to remember that the vast majority of those, including children, who have died have been killed by conventional weapons. To help end the brutal conflict in Syria, the UN Security Council must also insist that all countries cease supplying these weapons to the warring parties in Syria which are fuelling the continuation of the conflict,” Phil Goff says.
Notice_of_Motion__Hansard__Syria.pdf
ENDS
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