UN to vote today on sending observers to Aleppo

TIL Desk/World/United Nations-The UN Security Council will vote today on a French-drafted resolution to quickly deploy UN observers to Aleppo, with Russia, Syria’s ally, giving cautious backing to the measure. Russia had threatened to veto a first draft presented by France calling for observers to monitor evacuations from Aleppo and report on the protection of civilians in the besieged Syrian city.

But after nearly four hours of closed-door council consultations yesterday, a new draft was agreed. Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters: “We put in some good hours of work and I think we have a good text.”

French Ambassador Francois Delattre declared that the council had reached “common ground,” while US Ambassador Samantha Power anticipated the member states would vote “unanimously” at 9 am (local time).

The vote, initially tabled for yesterday, was delayed until today to allow the Russian delegation to consult with Moscow on the final draft resolution that provides for UN and other international observers to be dispatched to eastern Aleppo.

The new draft calls on UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to make arrangements, in consultation with Syrian authorities and the rebels, to allow UN monitoring of “the well-being of civilians.”