Friends of Syria Group
The Group of Friends of the Syrian People[1] (sometimes Friends of Syria Group, Friends of the Syrian People Group, Friends of Democratic Syria or simply Friends of Syria) was an international diplomatic collective of countries and bodies convening periodically on the topic of Syria outside the U.N. Security Council. The collective was created in response to a Russian and Chinese veto on a Security Council resolution condemning the actions of the Syrian Ba'athist government during the Syrian civil war.[2]
History, purpose
[edit | edit source]The group was initiated by then-French president Nicolas Sarkozy, with the purpose to find a solution to the Syrian conflict, after Russia and China had vetoed a 4 February 2012 UN Security Council resolution.[3] Its first meeting took place on 24 February 2012 in Tunisia.[4] The second meeting took place the same year on 1 April in Istanbul, Turkey.[5] The third meeting of the Friends of Syria took place in Paris in early July 2012.[6] The fourth summit took place in Marrakesh in December 2012.
Inaugural conference in Tunisia
[edit | edit source]On 24 February 2012, the Friends of Syria met for the first time, in Tunis. Then U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. officials Anne-Marie Slaughter and Michael Hirsh advocated that Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan would be able to create "no-kill zones", and argued that Syria was more central to American interests than Libya had been.[7] The Syrian National Council featured prominently at the conference, and issued a seven-point list of demands, among which,[8]
If the regime fails to accept the terms of the political initiative outlined by the Arab League and end violence against citizens, the Friends of Syria should not constrain individual countries from aiding the Syrian opposition by means of military advisers, training and provision of arms to defend themselves.
Istanbul conference
[edit | edit source]
Seventy nations participated in the conference held on 1 April 2012 to support Syrian opposition and increase pressure on the Syrian government. The Syrian National Council claiming the opposition is now united called for "serious action" and said they will "take charge of the payment of fixed salaries of Free Syrian Army". The Turkish PM defended what he called "Syrians' right to self-defence" and demanded the international community to speak up for the Syrian people. "We also believe the international community has a moral obligation to act. The bloodshed in Syria must stop," He added. Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani (Qatari Prime Minister), Arab League Secretariat and contemporary US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton supported taking stronger measures against the Syrian government.[5]
The Government-owned Syrian Arab News Agency denounced the meeting calling it "a series of related circles of conspiracy against Syria" and identified participants as "enemies of Syria".[5]
Paris conference
[edit | edit source]The third meeting of the Friends of Syria group opened on 6 July 2012 in Paris, France. Speakers addressing the meeting included William Hague, Laurent Fabius, Ahmet Davutoğlu and Hillary Clinton.[6]
Marrakesh conference
[edit | edit source]The fourth meeting of the Friends of Syria group opened on 12 December 2012 in Marrakesh, Morocco.[9]
Rome February 2013 meeting
[edit | edit source]On 28 February 2013, only 11 members of the Friends of Syria held their meeting in Rome.[10]
Amman conference
[edit | edit source]On 22 May 2013, a conference in Amman was opened to discuss the US-Russian proposal for peace talks.[11]
Doha conference
[edit | edit source]On 22 June 2013, a conference in Doha was opened to discuss how to organise the delivery of military and other kinds of aid for Syrian rebels.[12]
Participants
[edit | edit source]The conference in Marrakech, on 12 December 2012, was attended by delegates of 114 states.[13]
In 2013, however, the number of nations represented at the meetings fell to 11.[10][14]
Countries
[edit | edit source]Members of the Friends of Syria group, which met in 2013 in Rome, Istanbul[10][14] and London, are often referred to as the 'London 11'.[15]
- File:Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt
- File:Flag of France.svg France
- File:Flag of Germany.svg Germany
- File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy
- File:Flag of Jordan.svg Jordan
- File:Flag of Qatar.svg Qatar
- File:Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saudi Arabia
- File:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey
- File:Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg United Arab Emirates
- File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
- File:Flag of the United States.svg United States
Syrian opposition groups
[edit | edit source]
International organisations
[edit | edit source]International organisations participating in the Friends of Syria conference included:[16]
- File:Flag of the African Union.svg African Union[17]
- File:Flag of the Arab League.svg Arab League
- File:Emblem of Maghreb.svg Arab Maghreb Union
- File:Flag of Europe.svg European Union
- File:Flag of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.svg Gulf Cooperation Council
- File:OIC Logo since 2011.svg Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
- File:Flag of the United Nations.svg United Nations
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ [dead link]Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b c Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ nytimes.com: "How to Halt the Butchery in Syria", 23 February 2012
- ^ demdigest.net: "Syria’s opposition gets recognition, not arms" Archived 8 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine, 24 February 2012
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b c Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).