The Importance Of The Crisis In Syria

Submitted By Jacob-Dysinger
Words: 590
Pages: 3

Jacob Dysinger
International Relations
Ms. Calhoun
3/8/15
The New Zealand Position

As the crisis in Syria enters its fifth year, the international community must be prepared to address this situation head on. Addressing the UN General Assembly, The New Zealand reaffirmed the National Party government’s support for the US drive to war against Syria. It is clear that the UN Security Council’s lack of agreement, has made it a powerless bystander to the
Syrian tragedy and in a way, shielded the Assad regime. New Zealand regards Russia and China as major parts of this disfunction, which vetoed UN resolutions that would have paved the way for military intervention.
Especially when concerning the issue of the use of chemical weapons, New Zealand greatly supports the resolution to dismantle Syria’s chemical weapons but requires more progress. The resolution doesn’t specifically spell out how it would hold the regime to account and it doesn’t allow for force. Not even Adolf Hitler used chemical weapons during WWII, and
Syria must be held accountable.
New Zealand is prepared to be held as an example for the international community when dealing with not only military intervention but through the aid of refugees. New Zealand prepares to step up and do its part to help Syria’s most vulnerable refugees by immediately accepting 100 Syrian refugees for resettlement, and increasing the annual refugee quota from the original 750. The lack of resettlement places for refugees offered by the international community is very disagreeable to New Zealand’s standards. Nearly 380,000 people have been identified as vulnerable and in urgent need of resettlement by the UN refugee agency.
“Only 79,180 resettlement places have been offered globally. This is only one fifth of what is needed,” said Grant Bayldon Executive Director of Amnesty International Aotearoa NZ since 2012. Around 95 percent of those that have fled (3.8 million people) are being hosted in five main countries: Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt, but those countries are struggling to maintain this huge flood of people in need.
New Zealand will lead this movement in the international community and show if a tiny country with a weak economy and huge debt like Lebanon can try to accommodate a 26 per cent increase of its population others can certainly be doing more to help. New