Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
New York, SANA-The United Nations General Assembly on Friday adopted a draft resolution submitted by Liechtenstein and number of states on “the mechanism of electronic voting on General Assembly resolutions in case of the absence of capability of personal attendance,” with a majority of 123 votes against 19 countries that rejected, among them Syria, while 29 states abstained.
” The Syrian delegation did not support the draft resolution and we hoped that the member states would vote with us against it because the new mechanism breaches, even if temporarily, the rules of procedures applicable at the General Assembly”, Syria’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Bashar al-Jaafari, said in a statement during a meeting held by the Assembly to vote on the project.
“The new project will be a precedent in the work of the United Nations, and it will change the form and rules of this organization, particularly as it deprives states from the privilege of personal attendance and to exercise their right to vote, not to mention the ambiguity in aspects of this project”, al-Jaafari added .
He pointed out that the draft of the new mechanism cannot be considered as a matter in form or a technical amendment to the rules of procedures, as being marketed by those who submitted it, but on the contrary, it undermines the effectiveness and safety of the agreed upon procedures and breaches opinion consensus, in implementation of political interests and agendas that do not serve the collective interest of member states.
Al-Jaafari added that the basis, on which the United Nations was established, is equality among all according to Article No.2 of the UN Charter and the right of states to express their stance and record their voice on an equal basis with others, but today, some sides come and put this sacred right in the hands of an “electronic mechanism” that shows and hides the voices of states according to their mood .
“What makes us worried is not the other side’s lack of openness or willingness to engage in joint cooperation to bring the project to the level of facing (Covid-19) pandemic and other difficulties, rather, what stirs our concern is the hurrying that transferred this project from a mere proposal for debate into voting with misunderstood speed,” al-Jaafari concluded.
Baraa Ali / Mazen Eyon
