Representatives of more
than 60 countries meeting in Tokyo welcomed Friday the formation of the
National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces.
The "Friends of
Syria" also “urged other opposition factions to join
the Coalition” and called on members of “the armed forces and the financial and
business community to distance themselves from the regime and support the
legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people.“
At a meeting in the
Japanese capital, the group's fifth since its inception, they called for a full
oil embargo on Syria.
In its closing
statement, “The Group reiterated its call on all states to impose an embargo on
Syrian petroleum products and a ban on the provision of insurance and
reinsurance for shipments of Syrian petroleum products.”
Presently, the United
States bans the import of Syrian oil and gas, but the European Union does not.
Following
is the full text of the group’s closing statement carried by PanOrient News:
TOKYO, JAPAN, 30 NOVEMBER 2012
1. The Friends of the Syrian People
International Working Group on Sanctions (‘the Group’) held its fifth meeting
in Tokyo, Japan, on 30 November 2012. Under the mandate given by the
Ministerial meeting of the Friends of the Syrian People in Istanbul on 1 April,
the meeting built upon and endorsed the outcomes of the meetings held by the
Group in Paris on 17 April, in Washington, D.C. on 6 June, in Doha on 19 July,
and in The Hague on 20 September. Japan, Morocco, and EEAS (European External
Action Service) co-chaired the meeting. On behalf of the host government, Mr.
Koichiro Gemba, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, delivered the
opening address. 63 countries as well as the League of Arab States, the Gulf
Cooperation Council, and the European Union were represented at the meeting.
Also present was the Syrian Economic Task Force, who attended on behalf of the
National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces. The Group
welcomed the participation of four new countries, including three from Asia,
further underlining the international community’s growing determination to
bring about an end to the repression and a political solution to the crisis in
Syria as soon as possible.
2. Gravely alarmed by the escalation of
violence in Syria, and the spillover of the crisis into the entire region, the
Group condemned in the strongest terms the incessant killings, bombings of
residential areas, and destruction as well as the systematic and gross
violation of human rights in Syria, and reiterated its call for the Syrian
regime, in the first place, to stop the violence. It also called upon those
countries, groups and individuals that are actively supporting the Syrian
regime’s ruthless efforts to suppress the political aspirations of the Syrian
people to cease their support.
3. The Group deplored the further
deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Syria, called upon the Syrian
regime to grant full and unimpeded access for all affected civilians to
humanitarian assistance, and urged the international community to respond to
appeals by the United Nations and its humanitarian partners and provide urgent
financial support to address the growing humanitarian needs of the Syrian population,
both for the civilians in Syria affected by the conflict and for Syrian
refugees in neighboring countries, which are bearing the major burden in this
regard.
4. The Group is committed to the
sovereignty, independence, national unity and territorial integrity of Syria.
The Group reaffirmed its unwavering support for the rightful and legitimate
aspirations of the Syrian people for a peaceful, democratic, pluralistic, and
inclusive society, free of any sectarianism or discrimination on any grounds, and
committed to stand by them until their aspirations are fulfilled. In this
regard, the Group expressed its full support for Joint Special Representative
of the United Nations and the League of Arab States, Lakhdar Brahimi, for his
assiduous efforts to bring about an end to the conflict and achieve a peaceful
transition to building the new Syria in a swift manner. In this respect, the
Group noted that the Arab League has urged the Security Council to pass a
resolution pertaining to declare an immediate cease-fire.
5. The Group welcomed the results of the
Doha meetings on 11 November 2012 and the formation of the National Coalition
of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, encouraged them to prepare for a
prompt, peaceful, and inclusive transition, and urged other opposition factions
to join the Coalition so as to create an inclusive and all embracing body. It
looks forward to working with this newly designed opposition umbrella
organization in order to enhance the effectiveness of the restrictive measures.
6. While the responsibility for the
violence lies with the Syrian regime, the Group condemned all terrorist acts in
Syria, which undermine the objectives of the National Coalition of Syrian
Revolution and Opposition Forces and further perpetuate the conflict in Syria.
7. The Group called on all members of the
international community, especially members of the United Nations Security
Council, to take swift, responsible and resolute action in solidarity with the
Syrian people and to increase pressure on the Syrian regime by implementing and
enforcing measures to deny it access to the resources needed for its violent
campaign against its own population.
8. The Group welcomed the targeted and
coordinated sanctions implemented by Group member countries and organizations
to increase pressure on the Syrian regime and isolate it from the international
community as a means of ending the repression in Syria. These measures have
helped to hamper the ability of the Syrian regime to crack down on the Syrian
people, inter alia, by cutting off major sources of income previously derived
from the export of oil and other goods, by freezing the assets of those
involved in or supporting the repression of the Syrian people, and by
exercising vigilance to prevent the transfer of weapons and related goods to
Syria. The Group recognized that a continued concerted multinational effort is
necessary to further isolate the Syrian regime and deprive it of the financial
resources and support needed to sustain its campaign of violent repression of
the legitimate political aspirations of the Syrian people.
9. The Group renewed its commitment to
improve the implementation and the enforcement of those sanctions already in
place and to exercise enhanced vigilance to prevent evasion of sanctions by the
Syrian regime, including by seeking alternative markets for its crude oil, and
urged international partners not to purchase Syrian oil and gas products. The
Group reiterated its resolve to ensure that sanctions against the Syrian regime
and its affiliates are effectively implemented to hasten the end of the
regime’s oppression of the Syrian people. In this regard, the Group commended
the efforts of Syria’s neighbors to impose sanctions against the Syrian regime
despite adverse effects on their own economy and called for other countries,
including those neighbors of Syria that have not implemented restrictive
measures, to impose similar sanctions.
10. With a view to reinforcing the
effectiveness of current sanctions and increasing pressure upon the Syrian
regime, the Group called on all states to take steps, in their own capacity, by
imposing, at a minimum, an asset freeze on senior Syrian regime officials
involved in the repression, as well as an asset freeze on, and restrictions on
transactions with, major banks tied with the Syrian regime such as the Central
Bank of Syria, the Commercial Bank of Syria and the Syrian International
Islamic Bank, in order to prevent circumventing measures adopted by the Syrian
regime.
11. The Group reiterated its call on all
states to impose an embargo on Syrian petroleum products and a ban on the
provision of insurance and reinsurance for shipments of Syrian petroleum
products. The Group also reiterated its call on all states to impose a ban on
arm shipments and military technical assistance to Syria and on the provision
of insurance and reinsurance for third country arms shipments toward Syria.
12. The Group called on the international
financial and business communities to diligently comply with ongoing and
forthcoming measures against the Syrian regime. The Group strongly encouraged
institutions and enterprises in those countries that have not joined the
international sanctions regime to refrain from engaging in business with
entities affiliated with those responsible for and contributing to the violence
in Syria, or risk being exposed to a severe reputational risk.
13. The Group emphasized that sanctions do
not target the civilian population of Syria but are aimed at the Syrian regime
and its supporters. Expressing its solidarity with the Syrian people, the Group
steadfastly maintained that the current and forthcoming measures are carefully
targeted, including by reinforcing well-designed exceptions for humanitarian
transactions satisfying the needs of the civilian population in Syria, so that
innocent citizens of Syria do not suffer unjustly and unintentionally from
these measures. The Group underlined that the economic hardship faced by the
Syrian people is the consequence of the policies and actions of the Syrian regime.
14. The Group commended the courage shown
by those who have defected from the Syrian regime and committed to promptly
lift sanctions against them, as appropriate. The Group called on all those
working for the Syrian regime, the armed forces and the financial and business
community to distance themselves from the regime and support the legitimate
aspirations of the Syrian people, or face further isolation from the
international community and the international economic and financial system.
15. The Group agreed that there is an
increasing need for the Syrians and the whole international community to
prepare for the future reconstruction of Syria. In this regard, the Group
called upon members to be prepared to swiftly review and lift sanctions
including in key economic sectors, where appropriate, in a coordinated manner
when a credible and irreversible transition process moves forward, in order to
eliminate obstacles to the recovery and development of the Syrian economy and
facilitate efforts to rebuild the country, including through the recovery and
return of assets misappropriated by the Syrian regime and its affiliates.
16. The Group also stressed that, for a
swift, peaceful, and inclusive transition and successful reconstruction, the
Working Groups on Sanctions and on Economic Recovery and Development should
continue to progress in tandem and expressed its will to maintain close
coordination between the two Working Groups.
17. The Group committed to continue to
share information on measures taken to increase the pressure on the Syrian
regime. Recalling the call by the Group to establish ways to ensure continued
coordination in between meetings, it thanked the Netherlands and the United
States for publicizing the current sanctions regimes and the list of competent authorities,
which will be updated as needed.
18. The International Working Group on
Sanctions will hold its sixth meeting in Bulgaria in February 2013.
