Syria takes over leadership of Geneva Disarmament Conference

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) has called on the German government not to participate in meetings of the Geneva Disarmament Conference as long as representatives of the Syrian regime are leading this important UN body. “It is absurd that a government that is accused of using weapons of mass destruction and of being responsible for killing hundreds of thousands of civilians should preside over this UN body – thus being able to decide who is allowed to speak and who can not.” In the appeal – which the STP also sent to the governments of other EU countries – the human rights organization also emphasized that the dictator should not be given a forum. Syria will take over the chairmanship of the UN Disarmament Conference on Monday (28 May) and will lead the body of 65 members until June 24.

“Assad is anything but a peacemaker. Thus, he should not be allowed to preside over the Disarmament Conference,” stated Kamal Sido, the STP’s Middle East Correspondent, in Göttingen on Friday. “With a representative of the Syrian regime in such an important position, the UN body will become untrustworthy – and all attempts to create a world without weapons of mass destruction will have to be seen as a farce.” The escalation of the war in Syria was supposed to help Assad secure his power. Despite the immense suffering of the civilian population, he did not stop the constant attacks against entire districts and regions – which are now in ruins. There were even reports about the use of poison gas. Millions of people were driven away from their homes and lost everything.

Iran, Russia, and Turkey are members of the Geneva Disarmament Conference too. The governments of these countries, along with the Assad regime, are responsible for the war crimes in Syria as well. They too must be accused of preventing a lasting and peaceful solution to the Syrian tragedy.

The presidency automatically rotates among its 65 members – in alphabetical order. Any change to this “rotation rule” must be approved by all conference members. The panel is the only permanent international institution that negotiates bans on weapons of war.