UN Committee Votes on Resolution Condemning Foreign 'Interference' in Syria

A draft presented by Saudi Arabia condemning foreign 'interference' in Syria, specifically referring to Iran, has been approved by the UN Human Rights Committee. This non-binding resolution was passed on November 19 with 115 votes in favor, 15 against, and 51 abstentions. The United States and Western countries were among the 193 UN members that voted in favor of the resolution. The resolution condemns the presence of 'all foreign terrorist groups... and foreign forces participating in battles in support of Bashar al-Assad, especially the Quds Force (the IRGC's overseas branch), the IRGC, and militia groups like Hezbollah [Lebanon]' in Syria. At the same time, without directly naming Russia, it strongly condemns 'all attacks against moderate opposition groups in Syria' and calls for their 'immediate cessation.' According to Reuters, Abdullah al-Muallimi, Saudi Arabia's representative to the UN, had urged members of the organization to support the resolution, referencing the tragic image of a Syrian refugee boy whose lifeless body was found on a Turkish beach last September. On the other hand, Bashar Jaafari, Syria's representative to the UN, rejected the resolution, accusing Saudi officials of 'hypocrisy' and reminding them of the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia. He accused Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey of supporting terrorism in Syria, a claim that representatives from all three countries have denied. Gholamhossein Dehghani, Iran's deputy representative to the UN, also rejected the resolution, stating that it does not distinguish between 'terrorists' and 'those fighting against terrorists.' Most Arab countries are calling for the immediate resignation of Bashar al-Assad. Iran and Russia are considered the main supporters of Bashar al-Assad. The United States and some of its Western allies have also emphasized that without Assad's departure from power, there can be no way out of the Syrian crisis. Representatives from nearly 20 countries around the world have begun a new round of discussions regarding the Syrian crisis.