Explanation of vote by Sweden following the vote on a draft resolution presented by the Russian Federation at the UNSC

Thank you very much Mr President.

We voted against the draft resolution proposed by the Russian Federation because we believed that the language in the resolution was unbalanced, not comprehensive and it did not cover the entirety of our concerns related to the current situation.

At the same time, we agree with the Secretary-General that there is an obligation that actions be consistent with the Charter of the UN and with international law in general.

In our national statement delivered earlier today, we explained our view on the current situation in Syria and we condemned the use of chemical weapons and the many other flagrant violations of international law in Syria. We also underlined the need for a sustainable political solution.
We once again reiterate that, as members of the Security Council, we need to unite and exercise our responsibility in relation to the situation in Syria.

If there is any encouragement today, Mr President, it is that everyone around this table seems to insist on a sustainable political solution as the only way to end the suffering of the Syrian population. So we reiterate our full support for the UN-led political process, which now urgently needs to be reinvigorated, including through strong support for the efforts of Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura.

Thank you very much.