Hon Murray McCully
Minister of Foreign Affairs

28 August 2013

UN needs to address Syrian crisis - McCully

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully says the New Zealand Government still wants the United Nations Security Council to be the place where action on the Syrian crisis is resolved.

“The grisly pictures and reports of chemical weapons attacks in recent days have prompted consideration of a range of options in various parts of the world. The New Zealand Government remains committed to the Security Council as the appropriate vehicle to address this crisis. It has a clear legal basis for taking action and a clear responsibility to show leadership,” Mr McCully says.

“It is nearly a year since I used the opportunity of New Zealand’s address to the UN General Assembly to remind the Security Council of its responsibility to agree a course of action to resolve the Syria crisis, and criticised the use of the veto in such circumstances.

“It is clear that international patience with Security Council inaction is wearing thin. We again urge the UNSC to show leadership and to take action against the reported use of chemical weapons.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is remaining engaged in the exchanges that are taking place. We have a very close interest in information verifying the use of chemical weapons in Syria and in evidence proving who was responsible.

“We have no intention in engaging in speculation or commentary about the way forward. This is a time in which both words and prospective actions should be evaluated with great care.”

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